Analysis of The Valley Of Fear
Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919
In the journey of life, as we travel along
To the mystical goal that is hidden from sight,
You may stumble at times into Roadways of Wrong,
Not seeing the sign-board that points to the right.
Through caverns of sorrow your feet may be led,
Where the noon of the day will like midnight appear.
But no matter whither you wander or tread,
Keep out of the Valley of Fear.
The Roadways of Wrong will wind out into light
If you sit in the silence and ask for a Guide;
In the caverns of sorrow your soul gains its sight
Of beautiful vistas, ascending and wide.
In by-paths of worry and trouble and strife
Full many a bloom grows bedewed by a tear,
But wretched and arid and void of all life
Is the desolate Valley of Fear.
The Valley of Fear is a maddening maze
Of paths that wind on without exit or end,
From nowhere to nowhere lead all of its ways,
And shadows with shadows in more shadows blend.
Each guide-post is lettered, 'This way to Despair,'
And the River of Death in the darkness flows near,
But there is a beautiful Roadway of Prayer
This side of the Valley of Fear.
This beautiful Roadway is narrow and steep,
And it runs up the side of the Mountain of Faith.
You may not perceive it at first if you weep,
But it rises high over the River of Death.
Though the Roadway is narrow and dark at the base,
It widens ascending, and ever grows clear,
Till it shines at the top with the Light of God's face,
Far, far from the Valley of Fear.
When close to that Valley your footsteps shall fare,
Turn, turn to the Roadway of Prayer-
The beautiful Roadway of Prayer.
Scheme | ABABCDCD BEBEFGFD HIHIGDGD JXJXKDKD GGG |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) |
Metre | 001011111001 101001111011 11101101111 11001111101 11011011111 10110111101 11101011011 11101011 0111111011 111001001101 001011011111 11001001001 01111001001 1100111101 11001001111 101001011 01011101001 11111011011 111111111 01110111 11111011101 001011001011 1110100111 11101011 1100111001 011101101011 11101111111 111011001011 10111001101 11001001011 111101101111 11101011 1111101111 1110111 0100111 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,534 |
Words | 302 |
Sentences | 12 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8, 3 |
Lines Amount | 35 |
Letters per line (avg) | 35 |
Words per line (avg) | 9 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 244 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 60 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 24, 2023
- 1:30 min read
- 114 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"The Valley Of Fear" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 5 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/10925/the-valley-of-fear>.
Discuss this Ella Wheeler Wilcox poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In