Analysis of The Cricket
William Cowper 1731 (Berkhamsted) – 1800 (Dereham)
Little inmate, full of mirth,
Chirping on my kitchen hearth,
Whereso'er be thine abode,
Always harbinger of good,
Pay me for thy warm retreat
With a song more soft and sweet;
In return thou shall receive
Such a strain as I can give.
Thus thy praise shall be express'd,
Inoffensive, welcome guest!
While the rat is on the scout,
And the mouse with curious snout,
With what vermin else infest
Every dish, and spoil the best;
Frisking thus before the fire,
Thou hast all thine heart's desire.
Though in voice and shape they be
Form'd as if akin to thee,
Thou surpassest, happier far,
Happiest grasshoppers that are;
Theirs is but a summer's song,
Thine endures the winter long,
Unimpaired, and shrill, and clear,
Melody throughout the year.
Neither night nor dawn of day
Puts a period to thy play:
Sing, then -- and extend thy span
Far beyond the date of man.
Wretched man, whose years are spent
In repining discontent,
Lives not, aged though he be,
Half a span, compared with thee.
Scheme | XXXXAAXX BBCCBBDD EEFFGGHH IIJJKKEE |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 101111 1011101 11101 110011 1111101 1011101 0011101 1011111 1111101 0010101 1011101 00111001 1110101 10010101 1101010 11111010 1010111 1110111 111001 1001011 1110101 1010101 010101 1000101 1011111 10100111 1100111 1010111 1011111 01001 111111 1010111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 957 |
Words | 176 |
Sentences | 7 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 32 |
Letters per line (avg) | 24 |
Words per line (avg) | 5 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 191 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 44 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 54 sec read
- 106 Views
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"The Cricket" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/40133/the-cricket>.
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