Analysis of Sonnet XXV
George Santayana 1863 (Madrid) – 1952 (Rome)
As in the midst of battle there is room
For thoughts of love, and in foul sin for mirth;
As gossips whisper of a trinket's worth
Spied by the death-bed's flickering candle-gloom;
As in the crevices of Caesar's tomb
The sweet herbs flourish on a little earth
So in this great disaster of our birth
We can be happy, and forget our doom.
For morning, with a ray of tenderest joy
Gilding the iron heaven, hides the truth,
And evening gently woos us to employ
Our grief in idle catches. Such is youth;
Till from that summer's trance we wake, to find
Despair before us, vanity behind.
Scheme | ABBAABBA CDCDEE |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Petrarchan sonnet |
Metre | 1001110111 1111001111 110101011 11011100101 1001001101 0111010101 10110101101 11110001101 110101111 1001010101 0101011101 10101010111 1111011111 0101110001 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 573 |
Words | 109 |
Sentences | 4 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 6 |
Lines Amount | 14 |
Letters per line (avg) | 32 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 227 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 54 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 33 sec read
- 72 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Sonnet XXV" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/15801/sonnet-xxv>.
Discuss this George Santayana 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