Analysis of Gascoigne's Lullaby
George Gascoigne 1535 (Cardington) – 1577
1 Sing lullaby, as women do,
2 Wherewith they bring their babes to rest;
3 And lullaby can I sing to,
4 As womanly as can the best.
5 With lullaby they still the child,
6 And if I be not much beguil'd,
7 Full many wanton babes have I,
8 Which must be still'd with lullaby.
9 First, lullaby my youthful years,
10 It is now time to go to bed;
11 For crooked age and hoary hairs
12 Have won the haven within my head.
13 With lullaby, then, youth be still,
14 With lullaby, content thy will,
15 Since courage quails and comes behind,
16 Go sleep, and so beguile thy mind.
17 Next, lullaby my gazing eyes,
18 Which wonted were to glance apace;
19 For every glass may now suffice
20 To show the furrows in my face.
21 With lullaby, then, wink awhile,
22 With lullaby, your looks beguile,
23 Let no fair face nor beauty bright
24 Entice you eft with vain delight.
25 And lullaby my wanton will,
26 Let reason's rule now reign thy thought,
27 Since all too late I find by skill
28 How dear I have thy fancies bought.
29 With lullaby, now take thine ease,
30 With lullaby, thy doubts appease,
31 For trust to this, if thou be still,
32 My body shall obey thy will.
33 Eke, lullaby my loving boy,
34 My little Robin, take thy rest;
35 Since age is cold and nothing coy,
36 Keep close thy coin, for so is best.
37 With lullaby, be thou content,
38 With lullaby, thy lusts relent,
39 Let others pay which have mo pence,
40 Thou art too poor for such expense.
41 Thus lullaby, my youth, mine eyes,
42 My will, my ware, and all that was!
43 I can no mo delays devise,
44 But welcome pain, let pleasure pass.
45 With lullaby, now take your leave,
46 With lullaby, your dreams deceive,
47 And when you rise with waking eye,
48 Remember Gascoigne's lullaby.
Scheme | ABABCCDD XEXEFFGG HIXIJJKK FXFXLLFF MBMBNNOO HXHXPPDD |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1101101 1111111 0101111 111101 1101101 01111101 11010111 1111110 1101101 11111111 11010101 110100111 1101111 1101011 11010101 11010111 1101101 1101101 110011101 1101011 1101101 1101101 11111101 01111101 0101101 1111111 11111111 11111101 1101111 1101101 11111111 11010111 1101101 11010111 11110101 11111111 1101110 1101101 11011111 11111101 1101111 11110111 11110101 11011101 1101111 1101101 01111101 010110 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,827 |
Words | 345 |
Sentences | 14 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 48 |
Letters per line (avg) | 28 |
Words per line (avg) | 10 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 221 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 78 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 19, 2023
- 1:44 min read
- 128 Views
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"Gascoigne's Lullaby" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 2 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/15009/gascoigne%27s-lullaby>.
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