Analysis of The Shell

James Stephens 1882 (Dublin) – 1950



AND then I pressed the shell
Close to my ear
And listened well,
And straightway like a bell
Came low and clear     
The slow, sad murmur of the distant seas,
Whipped by an icy breeze
Upon a shore
Wind-swept and desolate.
It was a sunless strand that never bore  
The footprint of a man,
Nor felt the weight
Since time began
Of any human quality or stir
Save what the dreary winds and waves incur.  
And in the hush of waters was the sound
Of pebbles rolling round,
For ever rolling with a hollow sound.
And bubbling sea-weeds as the waters go
Swish to and fro
Their long, cold tentacles of slimy grey.
There was no day,
Nor ever came a night
Setting the stars alight
To wonder at the moon:  
Was twilight only and the frightened croon,
Smitten to whimpers, of the dreary wind
And waves that journeyed blind-
And then I loosed my ear ... O, it was sweet
To hear a cart go jolting down the street.


Scheme ABAACDDEFEGHGIIJJJKKLLMMNNOOPP
Poetic Form Tetractys  (43%)
Etheree  (23%)
Metre 011101 1111 0101 01101 1101 0111010101 111101 0101 110100 110111101 01101 1101 1101 1101010011 1101010101 0001110101 110101 1101010101 01001110101 1101 1111001101 1111 110101 100101 110101 111000101 101110101 011101 0111111111 1101110101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 874
Words 171
Sentences 7
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 30
Lines Amount 30
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 693
Words per stanza (avg) 170
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 03, 2023

51 sec read
457

James Stephens

James Stephens was an Irish Republican and the founding member of an originally unnamed revolutionary organisation in Dublin on 17 March 1858, later to become known as the Irish Republican Brotherhood, also referred to as the Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood by contemporaries. more…

All James Stephens poems | James Stephens Books

1 fan

Discuss this James Stephens poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Shell" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/20537/the-shell>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    5
    hours
    11
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the poem "No Man Is An Island"?
    A John Donne
    B Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    C Ezra Pound
    D Robert Browning