Analysis of Occasion'd By Reading The Memoirs Of Anne Of Austria
Ye heedless Fair, who pass the live--long Day,
In Dress and Scandal, Gallantry and Play;
Who thro' new Scenes of Pleasure hourly run,
Whilst Life's important Business is undone;
Look here, when guilty Conquests make you vain,
And see, how sad Remorse shuts up the Scene.
If future Bliss, or Misery, must flow
From what the Heart delights in here below,
Think how these Habits, rooted in the Breast,
Will fit you for a Commerce with the Blest.
Ye Politicians, who, in Courts to shine,
Study the Maxims of the Florentine;
Who, void of Virtue, anxious to be great,
Would rise, tho' on the Ruins of the State;
See how delusive are Ambition's Dreams,
See Providence defeating all your Schemes:
The Hand divine the well--laid Plot prevents,
And dashes all with unforeseen Events.
Yet the short--sighted Atheist dares advance,
These wondrous Changes are the Work of Chance.
Not so this pious, penetrating Dame,
Who to the sacred Fountain trac'd the Stream:
Like lovely Hertford, who her Hours employs,
To form her Mind for never--fading Joys.
Excelling Fair! whom All so justly prize;
Who, in a Court, find Leisure to be wise;
Humane and humble, pious and sincere;
Who walk, untainted, thro' infectious Air;
Thou Honour to thy Sex! may I pursue
The Paths of Wisdom, early trod by you!
I, who am destin'd to a low Estate,
Free from the Vanities that vex the Great;
Blest with a Happiness to Courts unknown;
For I, thank Heav'n, may call my Hours my own:
O may I pass those Hours in such a Way,
As may prepare me for the last, great Day!
That I may, unappall'd, lift up my Head,
When the Arch--Angel calls--Arise, ye Dead.
When all the haughty, pompous Sons of Dust,
Who here in fleeting Treasures plac'd their Trust;
Who here, to their Confusion largely quaff'd
Prosperity's intoxicating Draught;
Till drunk with Blessings, they despis'd their God,
Arraign'd his Wifdom, and defy'd his Rod;
Too late shall find, that Arm they durst oppose,
Can pour eternal Vengeance on his Foes.
Reflect, my Soul, that Day is drawing near;
And timely think, what was thy Business here.
O Thou, whose Arm, reach'd down from Heav'n to save,
So lately snatch'd me from the op'ning Grave;
Who bow'd thine Ear, nor let me sue in vain,
Reliev'd my Sickness, and remov'd my Pain;
In hallow'd Strains, O, teach my Soul to soar,
To celebrate the Mercies I adore!
To Thee alone to dedicate my Lays,
Who heard my Vows, and added to my Days!
Watch o'er my Heart, fix ev'ry Duty there,
And make Eternity my only Care.
Scheme | AABBCD EEFF XDGGHHIIJJXXKK LLMNOOGGPPAAQQRRAXSSTT MXUUCCVVWWNN |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111110111 0101010001 1111110101 1101010101 111101111 0111011101 1101110011 1101010101 1111010001 1111010101 101010111 100101010 1111010111 1111010101 111111 1100010111 0101011101 010110101 10110100101 1101010111 111101001 1101010101 1101101001 1101110101 0101111101 1001110111 0101010001 1101010101 111111101 0111010111 1111010101 1101001101 1101001101 11111111011 11111100101 1101110111 11111111 1011010111 1101010111 1101010111 1111010101 101001 1111010111 01110111 1111111101 1101010111 0111111101 0101111101 1111111111 1101110111 1111111101 0111000111 0101111111 110010101 110111011 1111010111 1101111101 0101001101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 2,431 |
Words | 440 |
Sentences | 16 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 4, 14, 22, 12 |
Lines Amount | 58 |
Letters per line (avg) | 33 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 381 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 88 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 2:18 min read
- 125 Views
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"Occasion'd By Reading The Memoirs Of Anne Of Austria" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 9 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/26622/occasion%27d-by-reading-the-memoirs-of-anne-of-austria>.
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