Analysis of Faded pictures

William Vaughn Moody 1869 – 1910



NLY two patient eyes to stare
Out of the canvas. All the rest-
The warm green gown, the small hands pressed
Light in the lap, the braided hair

That must have made the sweet low brow
So earnest, centuries ago,
When some one saw it change and glow-
All faded! Just the eyes burn now.

I dare say people pass and pass
Before the blistered little frame,
And dingy work without a name
Stuck in behind its square of glass.

But I, well, I left Raphael
Just to come drink these eyes of hers,
To think away the stains and blurs
And make all new again and well.

Only, for tears my head will bow,
Because there on my heart's last wall,
Scarce one tint left to tell it all,
A picture keeps its eyes, somehow.


Scheme ABBA CDDC EFFE GHHG CIIC
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 1110111 11010101 01110111 10010101 11110111 11010001 11111101 11010111 11110101 01010101 01010101 10011111 1111101 11111110 11010101 01110101 10111111 01111111 11111111 0101111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 703
Words 138
Sentences 7
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 108
Words per stanza (avg) 27
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

41 sec read
230

William Vaughn Moody

William Vaughn Moody was an American dramatist and poet. more…

All William Vaughn Moody poems | William Vaughn Moody Books

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