Analysis of Day

James Brunton Stephens 1835 (Scotland) – 1902



Linger, oh Sun, for a little, nor close yet this day of a million!
   Is there not glory enough in the rose-curtained halls of the West?
Hast thou no joy in the passion-hued folds of thy kingly pavilion?
   Why shouldst thou only pass through it? Oh rest thee a little while, rest!

Why should the Night come and take it, the wan Night that cannot enjoy it,
   Bringing pale argent for golden, and changing vermilion to grey?
Why should the Night come and shadow it, entering but to destroy it?
   Rest 'mid thy ruby-trailed splendours! Oh stay thee a little while, stay!

Rest thee at least a brief hour in it! 'Tis a right royal pavilion.
   Lo, there are thrones for high dalliance all gloriously canopied o'er!
Lo, there are hangings of purple, and hangings of blue and vermilion,
   And there are fleeces of gold for thy feet on the diapered floor!

Linger, a little while linger. To-morrow my heart may not sing to thee:
   This shall be Yesterday, numbered with memories, folded away.
Now should my flesh-fettered soul be set free! I would soar to thee,
   cling to thee,
   And be thy rere-ward Aurora, pursuing the skirts of To-day!


Scheme ABAB CDCD AXAX EDEED
Poetic Form
Metre 10111010111111010 111100100111101 11110010111110010 1111011111101011 11011011011110011 1011011001001011 1101101110011011 111101111101011 111101100110110010 11111110011000110 11110110010110010 01110111111011 100101101101111111 111101011001001 111110111111111 111 0111101001001111
Closest metre Iambic octameter
Characters 1,146
Words 202
Sentences 18
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 5
Lines Amount 17
Letters per line (avg) 51
Words per line (avg) 12
Letters per stanza (avg) 216
Words per stanza (avg) 50
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:00 min read
29

James Brunton Stephens

James Brunton Stephens was a Scottish-born Australian poet, author of Convict Once. more…

All James Brunton Stephens poems | James Brunton Stephens Books

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