Analysis of The Quest
James Whitcomb Riley 1849 (Greenfield) – 1916 (Indianapolis)
I am looking for Love. Has he passed this way,
With eyes as blue as the skies of May,
And a face as fair as the summer dawn?--
You answer back, but I wander on,--
For you say: 'Oh, yes; but his eyes were gray,
And his face as dim as a rainy day.'
Good friends, I query, I search for Love;
His eyes are as blue as the skies above,
And his smile as bright as the midst of May
When the truce-bird pipes: Has he passed this way?
And one says: 'Ay; but his face, alack!
Frowned as he passed, and his eyes were black.'
O who will tell me of Love? I cry!
His eyes are as blue as the mid-May sky,
And his face as bright as the morning sun;
And you answer and mock me, every one,
That his eyes were dark, and his face was wan,
And he passed you frowning and wandered on.
But stout of heart will I onward fare,
Knowing _my_ Love is beyond--somewhere,--
The Love I seek, with the eyes of blue,
And the bright, sweet smile unknown of you;
And on from the hour his trail is found
I shall sing sonnets the whole year round.
Scheme | AAXBAA CCAADD XDEEBB FFGGHH |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11101111111 111110111 0011110101 110111101 1111111101 0111110101 111101111 1111110101 0111110111 1011111111 01111111 111101101 111111111 1111110111 0111110101 01100111001 1110101111 0111100101 111111101 10111011 011110111 001110111 0110101111 111100111 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 994 |
Words | 214 |
Sentences | 11 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 24 |
Letters per line (avg) | 31 |
Words per line (avg) | 9 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 188 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 52 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:03 min read
- 114 Views
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"The Quest" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/21101/the-quest>.
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