Analysis of Lines Addressed To Dr. Darwin, Author Of The 'Botanic Garden.'

William Cowper 1731 (Berkhamsted) – 1800 (Dereham)



Two Poets, (poets, by report,
Not oft so well agree,)
Sweet harmonist of Flora's court!
Conspire to honour thee.

They best can judge a poet's worth,
Who oft themselves have known
The pangs of a poetic birth
By labours of their own.

We therefore pleased extol thy song,
Though various yet complete,
Rich in embellishment as strong,
And learned as 'tis sweet.

No envy mingles with our praise;
Though, could our hearts repine
At any poet's happier lays,
They would -- they must at thine.

But we, in mutual bondage knit
Of friendship's closest tie,
Can gaze on even Darwin's wit
With an unjaundiced eye;

And deem the Bard, whoe'er he be,
And howsoever known,
Who would not twine a wreath for thee,
Unworthy of his own.


Scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GDGX HIHI BDBD
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 11010101 111101 11111 010111 11110101 110111 01100101 11111 1110111 1100101 10010011 01111 110101101 111011 110101001 111111 110100101 11101 1111011 1111 0101111 011 11110111 010111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 700
Words 130
Sentences 7
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 92
Words per stanza (avg) 21
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

40 sec read
103

William Cowper

William Macquarie Cowper was an Australian Anglican archdeacon and Dean of Sydney. more…

All William Cowper poems | William Cowper Books

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