Analysis of Work And Joy
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
Each day I live I thank the Lord
I do the work I love;
And in it find a rich reward,
All price and praise above.
For few may do the work they love,
The fond unique employ,
That fits them as a hand a glove,
And gives them joy.
Oh gentlefolk, do you and you
Who toil for daily hire,
Consider that the job you do
Is to your heart's desire?
Aye, though you are to it resigned,
And will no duty shirk,
Oh do you in your private mind
Adore your work?
Twice happy man whose job is joy,
Whose hand and heart combine,
In brave and excellent employ
As radiantly as mine!
But oh the weary, dreary day,
The wear and tear and irk
Of countless souls who cannot say:
'I love my work.'
Scheme | ABABBCBC DEDEFGFG CHCHIGIG |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11111101 110111 00110101 110101 11110111 010101 11110101 0111 111101 1111010 01010111 1111010 11111101 011101 11101101 0111 11011111 110110 01010001 1111 11010101 010101 11011101 1111 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 774 |
Words | 140 |
Sentences | 7 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 24 |
Letters per line (avg) | 21 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 170 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 46 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 42 sec read
- 111 Views
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"Work And Joy" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 8 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/32759/work-and-joy>.
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