Analysis of Love Elegy, to Laura
Amelia Opie 1769 (Norwich, England) – 1853 (Norwich, England)
Too heedless friend, why thus augment the flame
That glows resistless in my beating breast?
Why with thy praises grace his fatal name,
Who robs thy Emma's hapless heart of rest?
Why needest thou dwell on Henry's graceful ease;
Why praise the timid worth his glance reveals;
Why speak enraptured of his power to please,
Whose power to wound my aching bosom feels?
Say not, "That gentle voice was formed for love,"
Nor in his eyes such sweet expression see;
Say not, that tenderness those glances prove,
Which never fix with tenderness on me.
Too well my Henry's charms I've numbered o'er,
And thus to end the fond survey is mine:
His heart will own some brighter fair one's power;
Think not, lost Emma, he can e'er be thine.
Yet why despair? Though Beauty's boasted rose
On others' cheeks in livelier colours shine,
The tender heart that in my bosom glows
The palm of fondness will to none resign.
Though brighter radiance beams in others' eyes,
By shape, by colour formed the soul to steal;
If Love's expression Henry's heart can prize,
Then, Henry's heart the power of mine must feel.
Yet vain the hope: "Fond maid, thy love suppress,"
Calm Reason cries; "go, learn to check the sigh:
But, if resolved to love in rash excess,
Seek out some lonely shade, despair, and die!"
Then, Laura, bid to Henry's praise farewel!
Forget his merit, and my hopeless flame;
On the dear theme no more ill-judging dwell,
And from thy memory blot his fatal name.
But if I urge this plaintive prayer in vain,
Bid execrations on that name attend;
And him, my Laura, view with cold disdain,
Who sees unmoved the sorrows of thy friend.
Say, such the scorn, the pride of Henry's breast,
It cannot Love's endearing softness share,
Say, vice degrades....Hold! slight my wild request,
Nor by such calumny my fury dare.
No....from my frantic wishes still appeal,
Declare that Henry is from error free;
Or the keen hate for him I bade thee feel,
My wayward heart will learn to feel for thee.
Scheme | ABAB CDCD XEXE FGFG HGHG IJIJ KLKL JAXA MNMN BOBO JEJE |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain |
Metre | 111110101 11101101 1111011101 111110111 1111110101 1101011101 11010111011 11011110101 1111011111 1011110101 1111001101 1101110011 11110111010 0111010111 11111101110 11110111011 110111101 1101010011 0101101101 0111011101 11010010101 111110111 1101010111 11010101111 1101111101 1101111101 110111011 1111010101 110111011 0111001101 1011111101 01110011101 1111110101 1111101 0111011101 1101010111 1101011101 1101010101 11111101 1111001101 111010101 0111011101 1011111111 1101111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,928 |
Words | 354 |
Sentences | 18 |
Stanzas | 11 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 44 |
Letters per line (avg) | 35 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 138 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 32 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:49 min read
- 29 Views
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"Love Elegy, to Laura" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 8 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/2048/love-elegy%2C-to-laura>.
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