Analysis of Love Well The Hour

Edith Nesbit 1858 (Kennington, Surrey ) – 1924 (New Romney, Kent)



HEART of my heart, my life and light,
If you were lost what should I do?
I dare not let you from my sight,
Lest Death should fall in love with you.

Such countless terrors lie in wait.
The gods know well how dear you are:
What if they left me desolate
And plucked and set you for their star?

So hold my hand--the gods are strong,
And perfect joy so rare a flower
No man may hope to keep it long,
And I might lose it any hour.

So, kiss me close, my star, my flower,
Thus shall the future spare me this:
The thought that there was ever an hour
We might have kissed and did not kiss.


Scheme ABAB XCXC DEDE EFEF
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 11111101 11011111 11111111 11110111 11010101 01111111 11111100 01011111 11110111 001111010 11111111 011111010 111111110 11010111 0111110110 11110111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 587
Words 122
Sentences 7
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 16
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 110
Words per stanza (avg) 30
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

36 sec read
86

Edith Nesbit

Edith Nesbit (married name Edith Bland) was an English author and poet; she published her books for children under the name of E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on more than 60 books of children's literature. She was also a political activist and co-founded the Fabian Society, a socialist organisation later affiliated to the Labour Party. more…

All Edith Nesbit poems | Edith Nesbit Books

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