Analysis of The Old Man's Funeral

William Cullen Bryant 1794 (Cummington) – 1878 (New York City)



Ye sigh not when the sun, his course fulfilled,
His glorious course, rejoicing earth and sky,
In the soft evening, when the winds are stilled,
Sinks where his islands of departure spread
O'er the warm-colored heaven and ruddy mountain head.

Why weep ye then for him, who, having won
The bound of man's appointed years, at last.
Life's blessings all enjoyed, life's labors done,
Serenely to his final rest has passed;
While the soft memory of his virtues yet
Lingers like twilight hues, when the bright sun is set?


Scheme AXABB CDCDEE
Poetic Form
Metre 1111011101 11001010101 0011010111 1111010101 10011010010101 1111111101 0111010111 1101011101 01001110111 10110011101 10111101111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 513
Words 91
Sentences 4
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 5, 6
Lines Amount 11
Letters per line (avg) 37
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 202
Words per stanza (avg) 45
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

28 sec read
124

William Cullen Bryant

William Cullen Bryant was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post. more…

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