Analysis of The Given Heart

Abraham Cowley 1618 (London) – 1667 (London)



I wonder what those lovers mean, who say
     They have giv'n their hearts away.
     Some good kind lover tell me how;
   For mine is but a torment to me now.

If so it be one place both hearts contain,
     For what do they complain?
     What courtesy can Love do more,
   Than to join hearts that parted were before?

Woe to her stubborn heart, if once mine come
    Into the self-same room;
    'Twill tear and blow up all within,
  Like a granado shot into a magazine.

Then shall Love keep the ashes, and torn parts,
    Of both our broken hearts:
    Shall out of both one new one make,
  From hers, th' allay; from mine, the metal take.

For of her heart he from the flames will find
    But little left behind:
    Mine only will remain entire;
  No dross was there, to perish in the fire.


Scheme AABB CCDD XXXX EEFF GGHH
Poetic Form Quatrain  (80%)
Etheree  (25%)
Metre 1101110111 1111101 11110111 111101111 1111111101 111101 11001111 1111110001 1101011111 010111 11011101 10010101010 1111010011 1110101 11111111 101101110101 1101110111 110101 110101010 11111100010
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 798
Words 146
Sentences 8
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 114
Words per stanza (avg) 29
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 02, 2023

44 sec read
132

Abraham Cowley

Abraham Cowley was an English poet born in the City of London late in 1618. He was one of the leading English poets of the 17th century, with 14 printings of his Works published between 1668 and 1721. more…

All Abraham Cowley poems | Abraham Cowley Books

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