Analysis of Effects At A Distance
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749 (Frankfurt) – 1832 (Weimar)
THE queen in the lofty hall takes her place,
The tapers around her are flaming;
She speaks to the page: "With a nimble pace
Go, fetch me my purse for gaming.
'Tis lying, I'll pledge,
On my table's edge."
Each nerve the nimble boy straineth,
And the end of the castle soon gaineth.
The fairest of maidens was sipping sherbet
Beside the queen that minute;
Near her mouth broke the cup,--and she got so wet!
The very devil seem'd in it
What fearful distress
'Tis spoilt, her gay dress.
She hastens, and ev'ry nerve straineth,
And the end of the castle soon gaineth.
The boy was returning, and quickly came,
And met the sorrowing maiden;
None knew of the fact,--and yet with Love's flame,
Those two had their hearts full laden.
And, oh the bliss
Of a moment like this!
Each falls on the breast of the other,
With kisses that well nigh might smother.
They tear themselves asunder at last,
To her chamber she hastens quickly,
To reach the queen the page hies him fast,
Midst the swords and the fans crowded thickly.
The queen spied amain
On his waistcoat a stain;
For nought was inscrutable to her,
Like Sheba's queen--Solomon's wooer.
To her chief attendant she forthwith cried
"We lately together contended,
And thou didst assert, with obstinate pride,
That the spirit through space never wended,--
That traces alone
By the present were shown,--
That afar nought was fashion'd--not even
By the stars that illumine you heaven.
"Now see! while a goblet beside me they drain'd,
They spilt all the drink in the chalice;
And straightway the boy had his waistcoat stain'd
At the furthermost end of the palace.--
Let them newly be clad!
And since I am glad
That it served as a proof so decided,
The cost will by me be provided."
Scheme | a ba b c cdD e ex x f fdD g hg h i ijj k lk l h xjj m nm e o oxh p ip x q qnx |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 0100101101 010010110 1110110101 11111110 11011 11101 1101011 001101011 01011011010 0101110 10110101111 01010101 11001 11011 1100111 001101011 0110100101 010110 1110101111 11111110 0101 101011 111011010 110111110 110101011 101011010 110101111 1010011010 0111 11101 111010010 1111001 1010101111 110010010 0110111001 101011101 11001 101001 1011110110 10111110 11101001111 111010010 01011111 10111010 111011 01111 111101110 011111010 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,694 |
Words | 315 |
Sentences | 17 |
Stanzas | 30 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 2, 1, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 1, 3 |
Lines Amount | 48 |
Letters per line (avg) | 28 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 44 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 10 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:36 min read
- 97 Views
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"Effects At A Distance" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 7 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/21645/effects-at-a-distance>.
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