Analysis of The Questioner

William Watson 1858 (Burley in Wharfedale) – 1935 (Rottingdean)



I asked of heaven and earth and sea,
Saying: 'O wondrous trinity,
Deign to make answer unto me,
And tell me truly what ye be.'
And they made answer: 'Verily,
The mask before His face are we,
Because 'tis writ no man can see
His face and live;'-so spake the three.
Then I: 'O wondrous trinity,
A mask is but a mockery-
Make answer yet again to me
And tell if aught besides are ye.'
And they made answer: 'Verily,
The robe around His form are we,
That sick and sore mortality
May touch its hem and healèd be.'
Then I: 'O wondrous trinity,
Vouchsafe once more to answer me,
And tell me truly, what is He
Whose very mask and raiment ye?'
But they replied: 'Of Time are we,
And of Eternity is He.
Wait thou, and ask Eternity;
Belike his mouth shall answer thee.'


Scheme aaaaBaaaAaaaBaaaAaaaaaaa
Poetic Form
Metre 111100101 10110100 11110101 01110111 011101 01011111 01111111 11011101 11110100 01110100 11010111 01110111 011101 01011111 11010100 11110111 11110100 1111101 01110111 1101011 11011111 01010011 11010100 1111101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 743
Words 154
Sentences 8
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 24
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 568
Words per stanza (avg) 146
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

44 sec read
42

William Watson

William Watson, was a surgeon in the 105th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers during the American Civil War. more…

All William Watson poems | William Watson Books

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