Analysis of Barbara Allen's Cruelty
Thomas Percy 1729 (Bridgnorth) – 1811
In Scarlet towne, where I was borne,
There was a faire maid dwellin,
Made every youth crye, wel-awaye!
Her name was Barbara Allen.
All in the merrye month of May,
When greene buds they were swellin,
Yong Jemmye Grove on his death-bed lay,
For love of Barbara Allen.
He sent his man unto her then,
To the town, where shee was dwellin;
You must come to my master deare,
Giff your name be Barbara Allen.
For death is printed on his face,
And ore his hart is stealin:
Then haste away to comfort him,
O lovelye Barbara Allen.
Though death be printed on his face,
And ore his harte is stealin,
Yet little better shall he bee,
For bonny Barbara Allen.
So slowly, slowly, she came up,
And slowly she came nye him;
And all she sayd, when there she came,
Yong man, I think y'are dying.
He turnd his face unto her strait,
With deadlye sorrow sighing;
O lovely maid, come pity mee,
Ime on my death-bed lying.
If on your death-bed you doe lye,
What needs the tale you are tellin:
I cannot keep you from your death;
Farewell, sayd Barbara Allen.
He turnd his face unto the wall,
As deadlye pangs he fell in:
Adieu! adieu! adieu to you all,
Adieu to Barbara Allen.
As she was walking ore the fields,
She heard the bell a knellin;
And every stroke did seem to saye,
Unworthy Barbara Allen.
She turnd her bodye round about,
And spied the corps a coming:
Laye downe, laye downe the corps, she sayd,
That I may look upon him.
With scornful eye she looked downe,
Her cheeke with laughter swellin;
That all her friends cryd out amaine,
Unworthye Barbara Allen.
When he was dead, and laid in grave,
Her harte was struck with sorrowe,
O mother, mother, make my bed,
For I shall dye to morrowe.
Hard harted creature him to slight,
Who loved me so dearlye:
O that I had beene more kind to him,
When he was live and neare me!
She, on her death-bed as she laye,
Beg'd to be buried by him;
And sore repented of the daye,
That she did ere denye him.
Farewell, she sayd, ye virgins all,
And shun the fault I fell in:
Henceforth take warning by the fall
Of cruel Barbara Allen.
Scheme | AABC DADC XAXC EAFC EAGC XFXH IHGH BAXC JKJC XABC XHIF XAAC XLXL XBFG BFBF JKJC |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (50%) |
Metre | 01011111 110111 11001111 01110010 1001111 111101 11111111 11110010 11111001 1011111 11111101 111110010 11110111 011111 11011101 1110010 11110111 011111 11010111 11010010 11010111 0101111 01111111 11111110 11111001 111010 11011101 1111110 11111111 1101111 11011111 1110010 11111001 111110 010101111 01110010 11110101 110101 010011111 01010010 1101101 0101010 11110111 1111011 1101111 011101 1101111 110010 11110101 011111 11010111 111111 1110111 11111 111111111 1111011 11011111 1111011 01010101 111111 1111101 0101110 11110101 11010010 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,992 |
Words | 390 |
Sentences | 20 |
Stanzas | 16 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 64 |
Letters per line (avg) | 25 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 98 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 24 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 26, 2023
- 1:57 min read
- 236 Views
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"Barbara Allen's Cruelty" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 11 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/37099/barbara-allen%27s-cruelty>.
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