Analysis of Sonnet Of Motherhood XXXI

Zora Bernice May Cross 1890 (Eagle Farm, Queensland) – 1964 (Glenbrook, New South Wales)



Beloved, I who shall be mother soon
Need mothering myself this tired hour,
As heavily the sweet and precious power
Weighs on my heart till I am near to swoon.
Console me, soothe me, Dearest, with the boon
Of your firm strength, and little comforts shower
Soft on the drifting doubtings that devour
Patience and courage when the death-winds croon.

You are your mother, Dear, as I am mine.
And, as we slumber to our souls’ caress,
Those two who panged for us and weeping smiled,
Draw near and bind us in a peace divine.
O mother me; all else is comfortless
As painted lips above a dying child.


Scheme ABBAABBA CDECDE
Poetic Form Petrarchan sonnet 
Metre 011111101 1100111010 11000101010 1111111111 1011110101 11110101010 1101011010 1001010111 1111011111 01110110101 1111110101 1101100101 11011111 1101010101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 588
Words 111
Sentences 6
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 6
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 33
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 232
Words per stanza (avg) 55
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

33 sec read
36

Zora Bernice May Cross

Zora Bernice May Cross (18 May 1890 – 22 January 1964) was an Australian poet, best-selling novelist and journalist.  more…

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