Analysis of Another on "On The University Carrier who sickn'd in the time of his vacancy, being forbid to go to London, by reason of the plague."

John Milton 1608 (Cheapside) – 1674 (Chalfont St Giles)



Here lieth one who did most truly prove,
That he could never die while he could move,
So hung his destiny never to rot
While he might still jogg on, and keep his trot,
Made of sphear-metal, never to decay
Untill his revolution was at stay.
Time numbers motion, yet (without a crime
'Gainst old truth) motion number'd out his time:
And like an Engin mov'd with wheel and waight,
His principles being ceast, he ended strait.
Rest that gives all men life, gave him his death,
And too much breathing put him out of breath;
Nor were it contradiction to affirm
Too long vacation hastned on his term.
Meerly to drive the time away he sickn'd,
Fainted, and died, nor would with Ale be quickn'd;
Nay, quoth he, on his swooning bed out-stretch'd,
If I may not carry, sure Ile ne're be fetch'd,
But vow though the cross Doctors all stood hearers,
For one Carrier put down to make six bearers.
Ease was his chief disease, and to judge right,
He di'd for heavines that his Cart went light,
His leasure told him that his time was com,
And lack of load, made his life burdensom
That even to his last breath (ther be that say't)
As he were prest to death, he cry'd more waight;
But had his doings lasted as they were,
He had bin an immortall Carrier.
Obedient to the Moon he spent his date
In cours reciprocal, and had his fate
Linkt to the mutual flowing of the Seas,
Yet (strange to think) his wain was his increase:
His Letters are deliver'd all and gon,
Onely remains this superscription.


Scheme AABBCCDDBEFFGGBBHHIIJJKDLBMMEENOPP
Poetic Form
Metre 111111101 1111011111 1111001011 1111110111 1111010101 11010111 1101010101 1111010111 011111101 11001011101 1111111111 0111011111 101010101 110101111 111010111 1001111111 1111110111 111110111111 11101101110 111001111110 1111010111 111111111 1101111111 01111111 110111111111 1101111111 1111010110 11111100 01001011111 0101000111 11010010101 1111111101 1101010101 10111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,443
Words 274
Sentences 6
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 34
Lines Amount 34
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 1,143
Words per stanza (avg) 274
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Submitted on August 03, 2020

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:25 min read
5

John Milton

John Milton was the Secretary of State of Georgia from 1777 to 1799. more…

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    "Another on "On The University Carrier who sickn'd in the time of his vacancy, being forbid to go to London, by reason of the plague."" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/55956/another-on-%22on-the-university-carrier-who-sickn%27d-in-the-time-of-his-vacancy%2C-being-forbid-to-go-to-london%2C-by-reason-of-the-plague.%22>.

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