Analysis of The Spring Oracle
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749 (Frankfurt) – 1832 (Weimar)
OH prophetic bird so bright,
Blossom-songster, cuckoo bight!
In the fairest time of year,
Dearest bird, oh! deign to hear
What a youthful pair would pray,
Do thou call, if hope they may:
Thy cuck-oo, thy cuck-oo.
Ever more cuck-oo, cuck-oo!
Hearest thou? A loving pair
Fain would to the altar fare;
Yes! a pair in happy youth,
Full of virtue, full of truth.
Is the hour not fix'd by fate?
Say, how long must they still wait?
Hark! cuck-oo! hark! cuck-oo!
Silent yet! for shame, cuck-oo!
'Tis not our fault, certainly!
Only two years patient be!
But if we ourselves please here,
Will pa-pa-papas appear?
Know that thou'lt more kindness do us,
More thou'lt prophesy unto us.
One! cuck-oo! Two! cuck-oo!
Ever, ever, cuck-oo, cuck-oo, coo!
If we've calculated clearly,
We have half a dozen nearly.
If good promises we'll give,
Wilt thou say how long we'II live?
Truly, we'll confess to thee,
We'd prolong it willingly.
Coo cuck-oo, coo cuck-oo,
Coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo!
Life is one continued feast--
(If we keep no score, at least).
If now we together dwell,
Will true love remain as well?
For if that should e'er decay,
Happiness would pass away.
Coo cuck-oo, coo cuck-oo,
Coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo!
Scheme | aabcddee ffgghhee iicbjjek iixxiiEK llmmddEK |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Etheree (35%) |
Metre | 1010111 10111 0010111 1011111 1010111 1111111 111111 1011111 110101 1110101 1010101 1110111 10101111 1111111 111111 1011111 11101100 1011101 11100111 1111001 11111011 111101 111111 101011111 1110010 11101010 1110011 1111111 1010111 1011100 111111 111111111 1110101 1111111 1110101 1110111 11111001 1001101 111111 111111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,203 |
Words | 219 |
Sentences | 33 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 40 |
Letters per line (avg) | 23 |
Words per line (avg) | 5 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 181 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 43 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:08 min read
- 91 Views
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"The Spring Oracle" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 3 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/21873/the-spring-oracle>.
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