Analysis of In Praise Of Writing Letters
Anne Kingsmill Finch 1661 – 1720 (Westminster)
Blest be the Man! his Memory at least,
Who found the Art, thus to unfold his Breast,
And taught succeeding Times an easy way
Their secret Thoughts by Letters to convey;
To baffle Absence, and secure Delight,
Which, till that Time, was limited to Sight.
The parting Farewel spoke, the last Adieu,
The less'ning Distance past, then loss of View,
The Friend was gone, which some kind Moments gave,
And Absence separated, like the Grave.
The Wings of Love were tender too, till then
No Quill, thence pull'd, was shap'd into a Pen,
To send in Paper-sheets, from Town to Town,
Words smooth was they, and softer than his Down.
O'er such he reign'd, whom Neighborhood had join'd,
And hopt, from Bough to Bough, supported by the Wind.
When for a Wife the youthful Patriarch sent,
The Camels, Jewels, and the Steward went,
A wealthy Equipage, tho' grave and slow;
But not a Line, that might the Lover shew.
The Rings and Bracelets woo'd her Hands and Arms;
But had she known of melting Words, the Charms
That under secret Seals in Ambush lie,
To catch the Soul, when drawn into the Eye,
The Fair Assyrian had not took this Guide,
Nor her soft Heart in Chains of Pearl been ty'd.
Had these Conveyances been then in Date,
Joseph had known his wretched Father's State,
Before a Famine, which his Life pursues,
Had sent his other Sons, to tell the News.
Oh! might I live to see an Art arise,
As this to Thoughts, indulgent to the Eyes;
That the dark Pow'rs of distance cou'd subdue,
And make me See, as well as Talk to You;
That tedious Miles, nor Tracts of Air might prove
Bars to my Sight, and shadows to my Love!
Yet were it granted, such unbounded Things
Are wand'ring Wishes, born on Phancy's Wings,
They'd stretch themselves beyond this happy Case,
And ask an Art, to help us to Embrace.
Scheme | AXBBCC DDEEFFGGXXHHXDIIJJXA KKLL MMDDXXNNOO |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) Etheree (20%) |
Metre | 1101110011 1101110111 0101011101 1101110101 1101000101 1111110011 010110101 0111011111 0111111101 010100101 0111010111 1111110101 1101011111 1111010111 1011111011 011111010101 1101010101 0101000101 01011101 1101110101 0101010101 1111110101 110101011 1101110101 01010011111 1011011111 1111101 1011110101 0101011101 1111011101 1111111101 1111010101 1011110101 0111111111 11001111111 111101111 1011010101 111101111 1101011101 0111111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,789 |
Words | 326 |
Sentences | 12 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 20, 4, 10 |
Lines Amount | 40 |
Letters per line (avg) | 34 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 343 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 81 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:42 min read
- 26 Views
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"In Praise Of Writing Letters" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 30 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/3262/in-praise-of-writing-letters>.
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