Analysis of The Petit Vieux
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
"Sow your wild oats in your youth," so we're always told;
But I say with deeper sooth: "Sow them when you're old."
I'll be wise till I'm about seventy or so:
Then, by Gad! I'll blossom out as an ancient beau.
I'll assume a dashing air, laugh with loud Ha! ha! . . .
How my grandchildren will stare at their grandpapa!
Their perfection aureoled I will scandalize:
Won't I be a hoary old sinner in their eyes!
Watch me, how I'll learn to chaff barmaids in a bar;
Scotches daily, gayly quaff, puff a fierce cigar.
I will haunt the Tango teas, at the stage-door stand;
Wait for Dolly Dimpleknees, bouquet in my hand.
Then at seventy I'll take flutters at roulette;
While at eighty hope I'll make good at poker yet;
And in fashionable togs to the races go,
Gayest of the gay old dogs, ninety years or so.
"Sow your wild oats while you're young," that's what you are told;
Don't believe the foolish tongue -- sow 'em when you're old.
Till you're threescore years and ten, take my humble tip,
Sow your nice tame oats and then . . . Hi, boys! Let 'er rip.
Scheme | AABBXCDD EEFF GGBB AACC |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) |
Metre | 11110111111 111110111111 111110110011 111110111101 101010111111 111011111 101011110 111010110011 11111111001 10101110101 111010110111 1110101011 111001110101 111011111101 001000110101 11011110111 111111111111 101010111111 11110111101 111110111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 1,036 |
Words | 198 |
Sentences | 20 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 20 |
Letters per line (avg) | 39 |
Words per line (avg) | 10 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 195 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 50 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:03 min read
- 116 Views
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