Analysis of The Pleiades

Arthur Henry Adams 1872 (Lawrence) – 1936 (Sydney, New South Wales)



LAST night I saw the Pleiades again,   
 Faint as a drift of steam   
   From some tall chimney-stack;   
And I remembered you as you were then:   
 Awoke dead worlds of dream,           
   And Time turned slowly back.   

I saw the Pleiades through branches bare,   
 And close to mine your face   
   Soft glowing in the dark;   
For Youth and Hope and Love and You were there           
 At our dear trysting-place   
   In that bleak London park.   

And as we kissed the Pleiades looked down   
 From their immeasurable   
   Aloofness in cold Space.           
Do you remember how a last leaf brown   
 Between us flickering fell   
   Soft on your upturned face?   

Last night I saw the Pleiades again,   
 Here in the alien South,           
   Where no leaves fade at all;   
And I remembered you as you were then,   
 And felt upon my mouth   
   Your leaf-light kisses fall!   

The Pleiades remember and look down           
 On me made old with grief,   
   Who then a young god stood,   
When you—now lost and trampled by the Town,   
 A lone wind-driven leaf,—   
   Were young and sweet and good!


Scheme AbcAbc defdef gxegxe AhiAhi gjkgjk
Poetic Form Etheree  (33%)
Metre 111101001 110111 111101 0101011101 011111 011101 110101101 011111 110001 1101010101 110111 011101 011101011 110100 010011 1101010111 0111001 11111 111101001 1001001 111111 0101011101 010111 111101 010010011 111111 110111 1111010101 011101 010101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,101
Words 178
Sentences 7
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6, 6, 6
Lines Amount 30
Letters per line (avg) 25
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 149
Words per stanza (avg) 35
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

53 sec read
86

Arthur Henry Adams

Arthur Henry Adams was a journalist and author. He started his career in New Zealand, though he spent most of it in Australia, and for a short time lived in China and London.  more…

All Arthur Henry Adams poems | Arthur Henry Adams Books

0 fans

Discuss this Arthur Henry Adams poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Pleiades" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/3866/the-pleiades>.

    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!

    More poems by

    Arthur Henry Adams

    »

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    6
    hours
    0
    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?

    »
    What animal did Robert Burns call "Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie"?
    A Mole
    B Spider
    C Mouse
    D Sparrow