Analysis of Jessie

Eugene Field 1850 (St. Louis) – 1895 (Chicago)



When I remark her golden hair
 Swoon on her glorious shoulders,
I marvel not that sight so rare
 Doth ravish all beholders;
For summon hence all pretty girls
 Renowned for beauteous tresses,
And you shall find among their curls
 There's none so fair as Jessie's.

And Jessie's eyes are, oh, so blue
 And full of sweet revealings--
They seem to look you through and through
 And read your inmost feelings;
Nor black emits such ardent fires,
 Nor brown such truth expresses--
Admit it, all ye gallant squires--
 There are no eyes like Jessie's.

Her voice (like liquid beams that roll
   From moonland to the river)
Steals subtly to the raptured soul,
   Therein to lie and quiver;
Or falls upon the grateful ear
   With chaste and warm caresses--
Ah, all concede the truth (who hear):
   There's no such voice as Jessie's.

Of other charms she hath such store
   All rivalry excelling,
Though I used adjectives galore,
   They'd fail me in the telling;
But now discretion stays my hand--
   Adieu, eyes, voice, and tresses.
Of all the husbands in the land
   There's none so fierce as Jessie's.


Scheme ABABCDCB EBEXBXBB FGFGHDHB IJIJKDKB
Poetic Form
Metre 11010101 11010010 11011111 1111 11011101 011110 01110111 111111 0111111 01111 11111101 011110 110111010 1111010 011111010 111111 01110111 111010 11001011 0111010 11010101 1101010 11010111 111111 11011111 1100010 11110001 1110010 11010111 0111010 11010001 111111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,067
Words 187
Sentences 6
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 32
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 207
Words per stanza (avg) 46
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

58 sec read
92

Eugene Field

Eugene Field, Sr. was an American writer, best known for his children's poetry and humorous essays. more…

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