Analysis of I Thirst
I thirst, but earth cannot allay
The fever coursing through my veins,
The healing stream is far away--
It flows through Salem's lovely plains.
The murmurs of its crystal flow
Break ever o'er this world of strife;
My heart is weary, let me go,
To bathe it in the stream of life;
For many worn and weary hearts
Have bathed in this pure healing stream,
And felt their griefs and cares depart,
E'en like some sad forgotten dream.
"The Word is nigh thee, even in thy heart."
Say not, within thy weary heart,
Who shall ascend above,
To bring unto thy fever'd lips
The fount of joy and love.
Nor do thou seek to vainly delve
Where death's pale angels tread,
To hear the murmur of its flow
Around the silent dead.
Within, in thee is one living fount,
Fed from the springs above;
There quench thy thirst till thou shalt bathe
In God's own sea of love.
Scheme | ABAB CDCD XEFE F FGXG XHCH FGXG |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11111001 01010111 01011101 11110101 01011101 110101111 11110111 11100111 11010101 11011101 01110101 111110101 0111110011 11011101 110101 11101101 011101 11111101 111101 11010111 010101 010111101 110101 11111111 011111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 853 |
Words | 165 |
Sentences | 9 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 1, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 25 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 93 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 23 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on May 02, 2023
- 51 sec read
- 131 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"I Thirst" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/13723/i-thirst>.
Discuss this Frances Ellen Watkins Harper 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