Analysis of A Dream.
One night, while peaceful in my bed
I lay, unwitting what befell,
By Morpheus' arms clasped close,
In blissful rest, I slumber'd well.
When suddenly, unto my ears
There came a dreadful, piercing sound,
So strange unto my startl'd mind,
I left my bed with single bound.
And then, transfix'd unto the floor,
I stood, in terror pinion'd there,
With drops of sweat upon my brow,
And eyes with fix'd and rigid stare.
I listen'd for the dreadful sound,
Which brought such terror to my brain;
And then, with wildly beating heart,
I heard the fearful noise again.
Affrighted yet, I heard the noise,
Which, tho' 'twas modified in tone,
It terror brought unto my heart,
And from my lips it drew a groan.
For horror yet was in the sound,
That froze my blood, and fix'd my eye;
It seem'd to me a demon's shriek,
Or wailing banshee's boding cry.
But soon my eyes unfix'd their stare,
My senses clearer now became,
And borne unto my sharpen'd ear,
I heard a sound, but not the same.
Within the plaster'd wall, near by,
I heard a grinding, ringing tone -
A mouse was gnawing at a board;
That was the sound, and that alone.
I waited then, and listen'd long;
But naught there came unto my ear,
Save this, and lying down again,
I wonder'd what had caus'd my fear.
And then I thought 'tis thus with us -
We mortals, who, with darken'd sight
See things, and fearful sounds do hear,
Which cause our narrow senses fright.
But when we waken from this dream,
With senses join'd to earth no more,
Our brighten'd faculties will see
No fear, where fear there was before.
Scheme | XAXA XBXB CDXD BXEF XGEG BHXH DIJI HGXG XJFX XKJK XCXC |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (82%) |
Metre | 11110011 11010101 11111 0101111 11001011 11010101 11101101 11111101 01011001 1101011 11110111 01110101 11010101 11110111 01110101 11010101 111101 1111001 11011011 01111101 11011001 11110111 1111011 110111 1111111 11010101 01101101 11011101 01010111 11010101 01110101 11010101 11010101 11111011 11010101 11011111 01111111 11011101 11010111 111010101 11110111 11011111 101010011 11111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,530 |
Words | 294 |
Sentences | 11 |
Stanzas | 11 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 44 |
Letters per line (avg) | 27 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 107 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 26 |
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Submitted on August 03, 2020
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:33 min read
- 2 Views
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"A Dream." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 8 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/56732/a-dream.>.
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