Analysis of Self–Diffidence
William Cowper 1731 (Berkhamsted) – 1800 (Dereham)
Source of love, and light of day,
Tear me from myself away;
Every view and thought of mine
Cast into the mould of thine;
Teach, O teach this faithless heart
A consistent constant part;
Or, if it must live to grow
More rebellious, break it now!
Is it thus that I requite
Grace and goodness infinite?
Every trace of every boon
Cancelled and erased so soon!
Can I grieve thee, whom I love;
Thee, in whom I live and move?
If my sorrow touch thee still,
Save me from so great an ill!
Oh! the oppressive, irksome weight,
Felt in an uncertain state;
Comfort, peace, and rest, adieu,
Should I prove at last untrue!
Still I choose thee, follow still
Every notice of thy will;
But, unstable, strangely weak,
Still let slip the good I seek.
Self–confiding wretch, I thought
I could serve thee as I ought,
Win thee, and deserve to feel
All the love thou canst reveal;
Trusting self, a bruised reed,
Is to be deceived indeed:
Save me from this harm and loss,
Lest my gold turn all to dross!
Self is earthly—faith alone
Makes an unseen world our own;
Faith relinquished, how we roam,
Feel our way, and leave our home!
Spurious gems our hopes entice,
While we scorn the pearl of price;
And, preferring servants' pay,
Cast the children's bread away.
Scheme | AABBCCXX AXDDXXEE FFGGEEHH IIJJKKLL MMNNOOAA |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Etheree (25%) |
Metre | 1110111 111101 10010111 1010111 111111 0010101 1111111 1010111 111111 1010100 100111001 1000111 1111111 1011101 1110111 1111111 10010101 1010101 1010101 1111101 1111101 10010111 1010101 1110111 1010111 1111111 1100111 1011101 101011 1110101 1111101 1111111 1110101 11011101 1010111 110101101 100110101 1110111 0010101 1010101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,207 |
Words | 228 |
Sentences | 12 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 40 |
Letters per line (avg) | 24 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 191 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 45 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 15, 2023
- 1:08 min read
- 108 Views
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"Self–Diffidence" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 9 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/40090/self%E2%80%93diffidence>.
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