Analysis of The Maid of Toro

Sir Walter Scott 1771 (College Wynd, Edinburgh) – 1832 (Abbotsford, Roxburghshire)



O, low shone the sun on the fair lake of Toro,
And weak were the whispers that waved the dark wood,
All as a fair maiden, bewilder'd in sorrow,
Sorely sigh'd to the breezes, and wept to the flood.
'O, saints! from the mansions of bliss lowly bending;
Now grant my petition, in anguish ascending,
My Henry restore, or let Eleanor die!'

All distant and faint were the sounds of the battle,
With the breezes they rise, with the breezes they fail,
Till the shout, and the groan, and the conflict's dread rattle,
And the chase's wild clamour, came loading the gale.
Breathless she gazed on the woodlands so dreary;
Slowly approaching a warrior was seen;
Life's ebbing tide mark'd his footsteps so weary,
Cleft was his helmet, and woe was his mien.

'O, save thee, fair maid, for our armies are flying!
O, save thee, fair maid, for thy guardian is low!
Deadly cold on yon heath thy brave Henry is lying,
Scarce could he falter the tidings of sorrow,
And scarce could she hear them, benumb'd with despair:
And when the sun sunk on the sweet lake of Toro,
For ever he set to the Brave and the Fair.


Scheme AXAXBBX CDCDEFEF BABAGAG
Poetic Form
Metre 111011011110 01001011011 110110010010 101101001101 111010111010 111010010010 11001111001 110010011010 101011101011 101001001110 00101111001 1011101110 10010010011 1101111110 1111001111 1111111010110 111111110011 1011111110110 11110010110 0111111101 010111011110 11011101001
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 1,076
Words 204
Sentences 9
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 7, 8, 7
Lines Amount 22
Letters per line (avg) 38
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 279
Words per stanza (avg) 67
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:03 min read
112

Sir Walter Scott

Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, poet, playwright, and historian. more…

All Sir Walter Scott poems | Sir Walter Scott Books

2 fans

Discuss this Sir Walter Scott poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Maid of Toro" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 6 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/35589/the-maid-of-toro>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    25
    days
    15
    hours
    49
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who is the author of the poem "The Raven"?
    A Emily Dickinson
    B Langston Hughes
    C Robert Frost
    D Edgar Allan Poe