Analysis of Odes From Horace. - To Lydia. Book The First, Ode The Eighth.
Anna Seward 1742 (Eyam) – 1809
O, Lydia! I conjure thee tell
Why, with persisting zeal, thou dost employ
The strongest power of amorous spell
On Sybaris, belov'd too well,
Wounding his fame amid voluptuous joy?
Why shuns he now the noon-tide glare,
Inur'd to whirling dust, and scorching heat?
Ceases the Warrior-vest to wear
In which he us'd, with graceful air,
Aspiring Youths, all emulous, to meet?
Why is it now no more his pride
To rein the ardent horse with agile arm?
With new-strung sinews to divide
The yellow Tyber's angry tide,
When the tempestuous showers its rage alarm?
Why hates he, as the viper's gore,
The Wrestler's oil, that supples every vein?
Why do we see his arms no more
With livid bruises spotted o'er,
Of manly sports the honorable stain?
'T was his to whirl, with matchless skill,
The glancing quoit, the certain javelin throw,
While Crowds, with acclamations shrill,
The lofty Circus joy'd to fill,
And all the honors of the Day bestow.
Such fond seclusion why desire? -
Thus Thetis' care her blooming Son conceal'd,
Ere yet commenc'd that Contest dire,
When mournful gleam'd the funeral pyre,
Thro' ten long years, on Ilium's purpled field.
In vain the female vest he wore,
That Love maternal might avert his fate;
Lest his spear drink the Lycian gore,
Lest sinking Troy his force deplore,
And DEATH with GLORY meet him at her gate.
Scheme | ABAAB CDCCD EFEEF GHGIH JKJJK ILXIL GMGGM |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) |
Metre | 110011011 1101011101 0101011001 110111 10110101001 11110111 0111010101 100100111 01111101 01011111 11111111 1101011101 1111101 0101101 10100101101 1111011 011111001 11111111 110101010 1101010001 11111111 01010101001 11111 01010111 0101010101 110101010 1101010101 11011101 1101010010 11111111 0101111 1101010111 1111011 11011101 0111011101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,314 |
Words | 237 |
Sentences | 12 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 |
Lines Amount | 35 |
Letters per line (avg) | 30 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 148 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 33 |
Font size:
Submitted on August 03, 2020
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:14 min read
- 8 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Odes From Horace. - To Lydia. Book The First, Ode The Eighth." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/54743/odes-from-horace.---to-lydia.-book-the-first%2C-ode-the-eighth.>.
Discuss this Anna Seward poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In