Analysis of Negative Love
John Donne 1572 (London) – 1631 (London)
I never stoop'd so low, as they
Which on an eye, cheeke, lip, can prey,
Seldom to them, which soare no higher
Than vertue or the minde to'admire,
For sense, and understanding may
Know, what gives fuell to their fire:
My love, though silly, is more brave,
For may I misse, when ere I crave,
If I know yet, what I would have.
If that be simply perfectest
Which can by no way be exprest
But Negatives, my love is so.
To All, which all love, I say no.
If any who deciphers best,
What we know not, our selves, can know,
Let him teach mee that nothing; This
As yet my ease, and comfort is,
Though I speed not, I cannot misse.
Scheme | AABXABCCX DDEEDEXXE |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11011111 11111111 101111110 11101101 1100101 11111110 11110111 11111111 11111111 111101 1111111 11001111 11111111 110111 111110111 11111101 11110101 11111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 610 |
Words | 125 |
Sentences | 5 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 9, 9 |
Lines Amount | 18 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 232 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 62 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 21, 2023
- 38 sec read
- 272 Views
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"Negative Love" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/22557/negative-love>.
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