Analysis of Elijah Browning

Edgar Lee Masters 1868 (Garnett) – 1950 (Elkins Park)



I was among multitudes of children
Dancing at the foot of a mountain.
A breeze blew out of the east and swept them as leaves,
Driving some up the slopes.... All was changed.
Here were flying lights, and mystic moons, and dream-music.
A cloud fell upon us. When it lifted all was changed.
I was now amid multitudes who were wrangling.
Then a figure in shimmering gold, and one with a trumpet,
And one with a sceptre stood before me.
They mocked me and danced a rigadoon and vanished....
All was changed again. Out of a bower of poppies
A woman bared her breasts and lifted her open mouth to mine.
I kissed her. The taste of her lips was like salt.
She left blood on my lips. I fell exhausted.
I arose and ascended higher, but a mist as from an iceberg
Clouded my steps. I was cold and in pain.
Then the sun streamed on me again,
And I saw the mists below me hiding all below them.
And I, bent over my staff, knew myself
Silhouetted against the snow. And above me
Was the soundless air, pierced by a cone of ice,
Over which hung a solitary star!
A shudder of ecstasy, a shudder of fear
Ran through me. But I could not return to the slopes --
Nay, I wished not to return.
For the spent waves of the symphony of freedom
Lapped the ethereal cliffs about me.
Therefore I climbed to the pinnacle.
I flung away my staff.
I touched that star
With my outstretched hand.
I vanished utterly.
For the mountain delivers to Infinite Truth
Whosoever touches the star!


Scheme AABCDCEFGHIJKLMNOPQGRSTUVWGXYSZG1 S
Poetic Form
Metre 110110110 101011010 011110101111 101101111 1010101010110 0110111110111 111011010100 101001001011010 0110101011 1110101010 1110111010110 010101010010111 11001101111 11111111010 10100101010111110 1011111001 10111101 01101011101011 011101111 01001010011 1011110111 101101001 010110001011 111111101101 1111101 101110100110 1001001011 11110100 110111 1111 11011 110100 101001011001 0101001
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,426
Words 277
Sentences 29
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 34
Lines Amount 34
Letters per line (avg) 33
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 1,127
Words per stanza (avg) 275
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

1:23 min read
131

Edgar Lee Masters

Edgar Lee Masters was an American poet, biographer, and dramatist. more…

All Edgar Lee Masters poems | Edgar Lee Masters Books

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