Analysis of Exactly So
Lady T Hastings 1682 (Charles Street, London) – 1739 (Ledston Hall, Yorkshire)
A speech, both pithy and concise,
Marks a mind acute and wise;
What speech, my friend, say, do you know,
Can stand before "Exactly so?"
I have a dear and witty friend
Who turns this phrase to every end;
None can deny that "Yes" or "No"
Is meant in this "Exactly so."
Or when a bore his ear assails,
Good-humour in his bosom fails,
No response from his lips will flow,
Save, now and then, "Exactly so."
Is there remark on matters grave
That he may wish perchance to waive,
Or thinks perhaps is rather slow,
He stops it by "Exactly so."
It saves the trouble of a thought -
No sour dispute can thence be sought;
It leaves the thing in statu quo,
This beautiful "Exactly so."
It has another charm, this phrase,
For it implies the speaker's praise
Of what has just been said - ergo -
It pleases, this "Exactly so."
Nor need the conscience feel distress,
By answ'ring wrongly "No" or "Yes;"
It 'scapes a falsehood, which is low,
And substitutes "Exactly so."
Each mortal loves to think he's right,
That his opinion, too, is bright;
Then, Christian, you may soothe your foe
By chiming in "Exactly so."
Whoe'er these lines may chance peruse,
Of this famed word will see the use,
And mention where'er he may go,
The praises of "Exactly so."
Of this more could my muse relate,
But you, kind reader, I'll not sate;
For if I did you'd cry "Hallo!
I've heard enough" - "Exactly so."
Lady T. Hastings.
Scheme | XXAA BBAA CCAA DDAA EEAA FFAA GGAA HHAA XXAA IIXA X |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 01110001 1010101 11111111 11010101 11010101 111111001 11011111 11010101 11011101 1101101 10111111 11010101 11011101 11110111 11011101 11110101 11010101 110011111 1101011 11000101 11010111 11010101 11111110 11010101 11010101 1110111 1101111 0100101 11011111 11010111 11011111 1100101 1111101 11111101 01010111 01010101 11111101 11110111 1111111 11010101 10110 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,382 |
Words | 279 |
Sentences | 14 |
Stanzas | 11 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 1 |
Lines Amount | 41 |
Letters per line (avg) | 25 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 94 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 23 |
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Submitted on August 03, 2020
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:22 min read
- 18 Views
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"Exactly So" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/56051/exactly-so>.
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