Analysis of Jordan (I)

George Herbert 1593 (Montgomery) – 1633 (Bemerton)



Who says that fictions only and false hair
Become a verse? Is there no truth in beauty?
Is all good structure in a winding stair?
May no lines pass, except they do their duty
Not to a true, but painted chair?

Is it no verse, except enchanted groves
And sudden arbors shadow coarse-spun lines?
Must purling streams refresh a lover's loves?
Must all be veiled, while he that reads, divines,
Catching the sense at two removes?

Shepherds are honest people; let them sing:
Riddle who list, for me, and pull for Prime:
I envy no man's nightingale or spring;
Nor let them punish me with loss of rime,
Who plainly say, My God, My King.


Scheme ABABA CXXCX DEDED
Poetic Form Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 1111010011 01011111010 1111000101 11110111110 11011101 1111010101 01011111 111010101 111111111 10011101 1011010111 1011110111 1101110011 1111011111 11011111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 635
Words 117
Sentences 9
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5
Lines Amount 15
Letters per line (avg) 32
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 162
Words per stanza (avg) 38
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

35 sec read
116

George Herbert

The Very Reverend Honourable George Herbert was an Anglican priest. more…

All George Herbert poems | George Herbert Books

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