Analysis of Chinese Paper Knife
Edmund Blunden 1896 (London) – 1974 (Long Melford)
For the first time ever, and only now
(Long waiting where I should see)
The tiny carved bird, the bony bough
Start sharp into life for me.
Why not until now, why suddenly now
This recognition? Replies
The bird must know who from that bough
Holds me with staring eyes:
The owl once more, but this time found
In foliage strange to me.
Fantastic branches warp around
From the scaly uptwisting tree.
A trifle, ah yes: but the carver achieved
A forest dream where flies
In and out the boughs so various-leaved
This bird with the pinhead eyes.
Then praised be this today whose light
Revealed this fabulous tree
And original owl, which many a night
Will lead into mystery.
Scheme | ABAB ACAC DBDB XCDC EBEB |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain |
Metre | 1011100101 1101111 010110101 1101111 1101111001 101001 01111111 111101 01111111 010111 01010101 10111 01011101001 010111 0010111001 111011 11110111 0111001 00100111001 1101100 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 657 |
Words | 122 |
Sentences | 7 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 20 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 106 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 24 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
- 36 sec read
- 109 Views
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"Chinese Paper Knife" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Web. 30 Mar. 2023. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/9118/chinese-paper-knife>.
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