Analysis of How beautiful the Earth is still
Emily Jane Brontë 1818 (Thornton) – 1848 (Haworth)
How beautiful the Earth is still
To thee–how full of Happiness;
How little fraught with real ill
Or shadowy phantoms of distress;
How Spring can bring thee glory yet
And Summer win thee to forget
December's sullen time!
Why dost thou hold the treasure fast
Of youth's delight, when youth is past
And thou art near thy prime?
When those who were thy own compeers,
Equal in fortunes and in years,
Have seen their morning melt in tears,
To dull unlovely day;
Blest, had they died unproved and young
Before their hearts were wildly wrung,
Poor slaves, subdued by passions strong,
A weak and helpless prey!
'Because, I hoped while they enjoyed,
And by fulfilment, hope destroyed
As children hope, with trustful breast,
I waited Bliss and cherished Rest.
'A thoughtful Spirit taught me soon
That we must long till life be done;
That every phase of earthly joy
Will always fade and always cloy--
'This I foresaw, and would not chase
The fleeting treacheries,
But with firm foot and tranquil face
Held backward from the tempting race,
Gazed o'er the sands the waves efface
To the enduring seas–
'There cast my anchor of Desire
Deep in unknown Eternity;
Nor ever let my Spirit tire
With looking for What is to be.
'It is Hope's spell that glorifies
Like youth to my maturer eyes
All Nature's million mysteries--
The fearful and the fair–
'Hope soothes me in the griefs I know,
She lulls my pain for others' woe
And makes me strong to undergo
What I am born to bear.
'Glad comforter, will I not brave
Unawed the darkness of the grave?
Nay, smile to hear Death's billows rave,
My Guide, sustained by thee?
The more unjust seems present fate
The more my Spirit springs elate
Strong in thy strength, to anticipate
Rewarding Destiny!
( June 2, 1845)
Charlotte Brontë wrote 'Never was better stuff penned.' in the manuscript of this poem.
Scheme | ABAXCCDEED BXXFGGXF HHII JXKK LBLLLM NONO PPMQ RRRQSSSO TTTO J X |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11000111 11111100 1101111 110010101 11111101 01011101 010101 11110101 11011111 011111 1110111 10010001 11110101 1111 11110101 01110101 11011101 010101 01111101 011101 1101111 11010101 01010111 11111111 110011101 111011 1110111 0101 11110101 11010101 110010101 100101 111101010 10010100 110111010 11011111 1111110 111111 11010100 010001 11100111 11111101 0111101 111111 11001111 1010101 11111101 110111 01011101 01110101 10111010 010100 1 1011101101100101110 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,826 |
Words | 325 |
Sentences | 12 |
Stanzas | 11 |
Stanza Lengths | 10, 8, 4, 4, 6, 4, 4, 8, 4, 1, 1 |
Lines Amount | 54 |
Letters per line (avg) | 27 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 131 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 29 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:39 min read
- 143 Views
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