Analysis of The First Grey Hair
Mary Eliza Perine Tucker Lambert 1838 (Cahaba, Dallas County Alabama) – 1896 (Phildelphia)
NO, let it stay. It speaks but truth:
My Autumn's day is dawning.
The dream is past; sweet dream of youth.
Hair, I accept thy warning.
With mournful thought, my spirit swells,
At the wild chime of memory bells.
Why will we in the present time,
Of by-gone days be dreaming?
Say, why throughout the storm sublime,
Is lightning ever gleaming?
Ah! there is naught on earth that quells
The chiming of sad memory bells.
Hope, garlands fair of future bliss,
With Fancy's pearls is weaving;
Alas! we find in world like this,
That Hope too is deceiving,
As on the past, our full heart dwells,
At your sad chiming, memory bells.
In youth all Earth was passing bright,
And life with joy was teeming —
But hidden in each flower was blight,
And happiness was seeming.
Yet charm me with your mystic spells —
With your sweet chiming, memory bells.
Why speak ye of the cruel wrong,
That I am ever grieving?
I would forget, forgive, be strong,
With faith in Christ, believing.
But oh! the strain triumphant knells —
Cease, cease your clashing, memory bells.
Avaunt, dark image of despair!
Why dost thou still go raving?
I would to Lethe's streams repair,
And drown thy taunts in laving.
Alas! can nothing still thy yells?
Cease, cease your clashing, memory bells.
Now mournful is the solemn strain,
And sadly I am weeping.
For those I love in battle slain,
Who all unknown are sleeping,
Like murmuring of ocean shells,
Swells your sad requiem, memory bells.
Now much loved voices in their glee
Their joyous shouts are sending;
And the sweet chorus, light and free,
Of many a song is blending,
Yet bitter tear-drops, sad fare-wells,
Melt in your chiming, memory bells.
Yet I would fain recall the past,
The bright celestial gleaming,
Which my first love around me cast,
Too sweet to be but dreaming.
Like flowing water, in lone dells,
Is your sweet chiming, memory bells.
Yes, silver hair, rest thee in peace,
I know that life is waning,
That soon will all my troubles cease,
And I, the goal attaining,
Will list the joy your music tells,
And love your chiming, memory bells.
Scheme | ababcc dbdbcc ebebcc fbfbcc gbgbcC hbhbcC ibibcc jbjbcc kbkbcc lblbcc |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Etheree (30%) |
Metre | 11111111 1101110 01111111 1101110 11011101 101111001 11100101 1111110 11010101 1101010 11111111 01111001 1111101 111110 01110111 1111010 110110111 11111001 01111101 0111110 110011011 0100110 11111101 11111001 11110101 1111010 11010111 1101010 11010101 111101001 1110101 1111110 1111101 011101 01110111 111101001 11010101 0101110 11110101 1101110 11001101 1111001001 11110011 1101110 00110101 11001110 11011111 10111001 1111101 0101010 11110111 1111110 11010011 11111001 11011101 1111110 11111101 0101010 11011101 01111001 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 2,012 |
Words | 368 |
Sentences | 30 |
Stanzas | 10 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 60 |
Letters per line (avg) | 27 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 160 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 37 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:51 min read
- 83 Views
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"The First Grey Hair" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 8 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/43291/the-first-grey-hair>.
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