Analysis of A Child My Choice
Robert Southwell 1561 (Horsham St Faith) – 1595
Let folly praise that fancy loves, I praise and love that Child
Whose heart no thought, whose tongue no word, whose hand no deed defiled.
I praise Him most, I love Him best, all praise and love is His;
While Him I love, in Him I live, and cannot live amiss.
Love's sweetest mark, laud's highest theme, man's most desired light,
To love Him life, to leave Him death, to live in Him delight.
He mine by gift, I His by debt, thus each to other due;
First friend He was, best friend He is, all times will try Him true.
Though young, yet wise; though small, yet strong; though man, yet God He is:
As wise, He knows; as strong, He can; as God, He loves to bless.
His knowledge rules, His strength defends, His love doth cherish all;
His birth our joy, His life our light, His death our end of thrall.
Alas! He weeps, He sighs, He pants, yet do His angels sing;
Out of His tears, His sighs and throbs, doth bud a joyful spring.
Almighty Babe, whose tender arms can force all foes to fly,
Correct my faults, protect my life, direct me when I die!
Scheme | AA BX CC DD BX EE FF GG |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11011101110111 1111111111111 11111111110111 11110111010101 11011101110101 11111111110101 11111111111101 11111111111111 11111111111111 11111111111111 11011101111101 11101111011110111 01111111111101 11111101110101 01011101111111 01110111011111 |
Closest metre | Iambic heptameter |
Characters | 1,031 |
Words | 203 |
Sentences | 10 |
Stanzas | 8 |
Stanza Lengths | 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 |
Lines Amount | 16 |
Letters per line (avg) | 49 |
Words per line (avg) | 13 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 98 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 25 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 11, 2023
- 1:01 min read
- 178 Views
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