Analysis of On Violet's Wafers, Sent Me When I Was Ill

Sidney Lanier 1842 (Macon) – 1881 (Lynn)



Fine-tissued as her finger-tips, and white
 As all her thoughts; in shape like shields of prize,
 As if before young Violet's dreaming eyes
Still blazed the two great Theban bucklers bright
That swayed the random of that furious fight
 Where Palamon and Arcite made assize
 For Emily; fresh, crisp as her replies,
That, not with sting, but pith, do oft invite
 More trial of the tongue; simple, like her,
Well fitting lowlihood, yet fine as well,
 -- The queen's no finer; rich (though gossamer)
In help to him they came to, which may tell
   How rich that him SHE'LL come to; thus men see,
   Like Violet's self e'en Violet's wafers be.


Scheme ABBAABBACDCDEE
Poetic Form
Metre 111010101 1101011111 110111101 11011111 11010111001 110111 1100111001 1111111101 1101011010 11011111 0111011100 0111111111 1111111111 111111101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 632
Words 113
Sentences 2
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 35
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 484
Words per stanza (avg) 111
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

35 sec read
80

Sidney Lanier

Sidney Lanier was a poet, writer, composer, critic, professor of literature at Johns Hopkins and first flutist with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra in Baltiimore. He wrote the Centennial cantata for the opening ceremony of the 1876 Centennial celebration in Philadelphia. more…

All Sidney Lanier poems | Sidney Lanier Books

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