Analysis of An Ode, On the Death of Mr. Henry Purcell
John Dryden 1631 (Aldwincle) – 1631 (London)
Late Servant to his Majesty, and Organist of the Chapel Royal, and of St. Peter's Westminster
Mark how the Lark and Linnet Sing,
With rival Notes
They strain their warbling Throats,
To welcome in the Spring.
But in the close of Night,
When Philomel begins her Heav'nly lay,
They cease their mutual spite,
Drink in her Music with delight,
And list'ning and silent, and silent and list'ning,
And list'ning and silent obey.
So ceas'd the rival Crew when Purcell came,
They Sung no more, or only Sung his Fame.
Struck dumb they all admir'd the God-like Man,
The God-like Man,
Alas, too soon retir'd,
As He too late began.
We beg not Hell, our Orpheus to restore,
Had He been there,
Their Sovereign's fear
Had sent Him back before.
The pow'r of Harmony too well they know,
He long e'er this had Tun'd their jarring Sphere,
And left no Hell below.
The Heav'nly Choir, who heard his Notes from high,
Let down the Scale of Music from the Sky:
They handed him along,
And all the way He taught, and all the way they Sung.
Ye Brethren of the Lyre, and tuneful Voice,
Lament his Lot: but at your own rejoice.
Now live secure and linger out your days,
The Gods are pleas'd alone with Purcell's Lays,
Nor know to mend their Choice.
Scheme | X ABBACDCCAD EEFFXFGXHGIHI JJXXKKLLK |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1101110001001010100111010 11010101 1101 1111001 110001 100111 1101011 1111001 10010101 011010010011 01101001 1101011011 1111110111 11110100111 0111 011101 111101 111110100101 1111 111 111101 01111001111 11101111101 011101 0110111111 1101110101 110101 010111010111 1101010101 0111111101 1101010111 011101111 111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,229 |
Words | 228 |
Sentences | 11 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 10, 13, 9 |
Lines Amount | 33 |
Letters per line (avg) | 28 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 234 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 56 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 07, 2023
- 1:12 min read
- 159 Views
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