Analysis of Washing And Dressing

Ann Taylor 1782 (Islington) – 1866



AH! why will my dear little girl be so cross,
And cry, and look sulky, and pout?
To lose her sweet smile is a terrible loss,
I can't even kiss her without.

You say you don't like to be wash'd and be dress'd,
But would you not wish to be clean?
Come, drive that long sob from your dear little breast,
This face is not fit to be seen.

If the water is cold, and the brush hurts your head,
And the soap has got into your eye,
Will the water grow warmer for all that you've said?
And what good will it do you to cry?

It is not to tease you and hurt you, my sweet,
But only for kindness and care,
That I wash you, and dress you, and make you look neat,
And comb out your tanglesome hair.

I don't mind the trouble, if you would not cry,
But pay me for all with a kiss;
That's right–take the towel and wipe your wet eye,
I thought you'd be good after this.


Scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH FIFI
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 11111101111 0101101 11011101001 11101001 11111111011 11111111 11111111101 11111111 101011001111 001110111 101011011111 011111111 11111101111 11011001 111101101111 011111 11101011111 11111101 11101001111 11111101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 850
Words 178
Sentences 10
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 32
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 127
Words per stanza (avg) 35
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

55 sec read
77

Ann Taylor

Ann Taylor is the former wife of Clifton Davis. more…

All Ann Taylor poems | Ann Taylor Books

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