Analysis of The Bridge of Sighs
Thomas Hood 1799 (London) – 1845 (London)
One more Unfortunate,
Weary of breath,
Rashly importunate,
Gone to her death!
Take her up tenderly,
Lift her with care;
Fashion'd so slenderly
Young, and so fair!
Look at her garments
Clinging like cerements;
Whilst the wave constantly
Drips from her clothing;
Take her up instantly,
Loving, not loathing.
Touch her not scornfully;
Think of her mournfully,
Gently and humanly;
Not of the stains of her,
All that remains of her
Now is pure womanly.
Make no deep scrutiny
Into her mutiny
Rash and undutiful:
Past all dishonour,
Death has left on her
Only the beautiful.
Still, for all slips of hers,
One of Eve's family—
Wipe those poor lips of hers
Oozing so clammily.
Loop up her tresses
Escaped from the comb,
Her fair auburn tresses;
Whilst wonderment guesses
Where was her home?
Who was her father?
Who was her mother?
Had she a sister?
Had she a brother?
Or was there a dearer one
Still, and a nearer one
Yet, than all other?
Alas! for the rarity
Of Christian charity
Under the sun!
O, it was pitiful!
Near a whole city full,
Home she had none.
Sisterly, brotherly,
Fatherly, motherly
Feelings had changed:
Love, by harsh evidence,
Thrown from its eminence;
Even God's providence
Seeming estranged.
Where the lamps quiver
So far in the river,
With many a light
From window and casement,
From garret to basement,
She stood, with amazement,
Houseless by night.
The bleak wind of March
Made her tremble and shiver;
But not the dark arch,
Or the black flowing river:
Mad from life's history,
Glad to death's mystery,
Swift to be hurl'd—
Anywhere, anywhere
Out of the world!
In she plunged boldly—
No matter how coldly
The rough river ran—
Over the brink of it,
Picture it—think of it,
Dissolute Man!
Lave in it, drink of it,
Then, if you can!
Take her up tenderly,
Lift her with care;
Fashion'd so slenderly,
Young, and so fair!
Ere her limbs frigidly
Stiffen too rigidly,
Decently, kindly,
Smooth and compose them;
And her eyes, close them,
Staring so blindly!
Dreadfully staring
Thro' muddy impurity,
As when with the daring
Last look of despairing
Fix'd on futurity.
Perishing gloomily,
Spurr'd by contumely,
Cold inhumanity,
Burning insanity,
Into her rest.—
Cross her hands humbly
As if praying dumbly,
Over her breast!
Owning her weakness,
Her evil behaviour,
And leaving, with meekness,
Her sins to her Saviour!
Scheme | abab CDCD eecfcf cccggc cccdgh icic jkjxk ggggllg cclhxl ccmnnnm ggoappo qgqgccrdr ccsttsts CDCD cccuuc fcffa ccccvccv xded |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 110100 1011 11 1101 101100 1011 1011 1011 11010 1011 101100 11010 101100 10110 1011 1101 100100 110110 110110 1111 111100 010100 101 111 11110 100100 111110 111100 111110 1011 11010 01101 011010 110010 1101 11010 11010 11010 11010 1110101 100101 11110 0110100 110100 1001 111100 101101 1111 1100 100100 1011 111100 111100 101100 1001 10110 110010 11001 11001 110110 111010 111 01111 1010010 11011 1011010 111100 111100 1111 1010 1101 01110 110110 01101 100111 101111 11 101111 1111 101100 1011 1011 1011 1011 101100 10010 10011 00111 10110 10010 1100100 111010 111010 111 100100 111 100100 100100 0101 10110 11101 1001 10010 0101 01011 01101 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 2,664 |
Words | 401 |
Sentences | 28 |
Stanzas | 18 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 6, 6, 6, 4, 5, 7, 6, 7, 7, 9, 8, 4, 6, 5, 8, 4 |
Lines Amount | 106 |
Letters per line (avg) | 17 |
Words per line (avg) | 4 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 101 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 22 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on May 03, 2023
- 2:03 min read
- 862 Views
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"The Bridge of Sighs" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 6 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/36685/the-bridge-of-sighs>.
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