Analysis of Ode On The Death Of A Favourite Cat Drowned In A Tub Of Goldfishes
Thomas Gray 1716 (Cornhill, London) – 1771 (Cambridge)
'Twas on a lofty vase's side,
Where China's gayest art had dy'd
The azure flow'rs that blow;
Demurest of the tabby kind,
The pensive Selima, reclin'd,
Gazed on the lake below.
Her conscious tail her joy declar'd;
The fair round face, the snowy beard,
The velvet of her paws,
Her coat, that with the tortoise vies,
Her ears of jet, and emerald eyes,
She saw: and purr'd applause.
Still had she gaz'd; but 'midst the tide
Two angel forms were seen to glide,
The Genii of the stream;
Their scaly armour's Tyrian hue
Thro' richest purple to the view
Betray'd a golden gleam.
The hapless Nymph with wonder saw:
A whisker first and then a claw,
With many an ardent wish,
She stretch'd in vain to reach the prize.
What female heart can gold despise?
What cat's averse to fish?
Presumptuous Maid! with looks intent
Again she stretch'd, again she bent,
Nor knew the gulf between.
(Malignant Fate sat by, and smil'd)
The slipp'ry verge her feet beguil'd,
She tumbled headlong in.
Eight times emerging from the flood
She mew'd to ev'ry wat'ry god,
Some speedy aid to send.
No Dolphin came, no Nereid stirr'd;
Nor cruel Tom, nor Susan heard.
A Fav'rite has no friend!
From hence, ye Beauties, undeceiv'd,
Know, one false step is ne'er retriev'd,
And be with caution bold.
Not all that tempts your wand'ring eyes
And heedless hearts is lawful prize,
Nor all, that glisters, gold.
Scheme | AABCCB XXDEED AAFGGF HHIEEI JJXKKX XXLMML AXNEEN |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1101011 1101111 010111 110101 010101 110101 01010101 01110101 010101 01110101 01110101 110101 11111101 11010111 01101 11111 11010101 010101 01011101 01010101 1101101 11011101 1111101 110111 010011101 01110111 110101 01011101 0110101 11010 11010101 111111 110111 1101111 11011101 01111 111101 11111101 011101 11111111 0111101 11111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,528 |
Words | 243 |
Sentences | 15 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 42 |
Letters per line (avg) | 25 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 149 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 34 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:20 min read
- 98 Views
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"Ode On The Death Of A Favourite Cat Drowned In A Tub Of Goldfishes" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/36287/ode-on-the-death-of-a-favourite-cat-drowned-in-a-tub-of-goldfishes>.
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