Analysis of The Little Girl Lost

William Blake 1757 (Soho) – 1827 (London)



In futurity
I prophesy see.
That the earth from sleep.
(Grave the sentence deep)

Shall arise and seek
For her maker meek:
And the desart wild
Become a garden mild.

In the southern clime,
Where the summers prime
Never fades away;
Lovely Lyca lay.

Seven summers old
Lovely Lyca told,
She had wandered long.
Hearing wild birds song.

Sweet sleep come to me
Underneath this tree;
Do father, mother weep.--
"Where can Lyca sleep".

Lost in desert wild
Is your little child.
How can Lyca sleep.
If her mother weep.

If her heart does ake.
Then let Lyca wake;
If my mother sleep,
Lyca shall not weep.

Frowning, frowning night,
O'er this desert bright.
Let thy moon arise.
While I close my eyes.

Sleeping Lyca lay:
While the beasts of prey,
Come from caverns deep,
View'd the maid asleep

The kingly lion stood
And the virgin view'd:
Then he gambolled round
O'er the hallowed ground:

Leopards, tygers play,
Round her as she lay;
While the lion old,
Bow'd his mane of gold,

And her bosom lick,
And upon her neck,
From his eyes of flame,
Ruby tears there came;

While the lioness
Loos'd her slender dress,
And naked they convey'd
To caves the sleeping maid.


Scheme ABCC DDAA EEFF AAGG BBCC AACC HHCC AAII FFCC AAAA FFAA XXEE BXAA
Poetic Form Quatrain  (77%)
Metre 01 111 10111 10101 10101 10101 0011 010101 00101 10101 10101 1011 10101 1011 11101 10111 11111 0111 110101 1111 10101 11101 1111 10101 10111 1111 11101 1111 10101 101101 11101 11111 1011 10111 11101 10101 010101 00101 1111 100101 1011 10111 10101 11111 00101 00101 11111 10111 101 10101 010101 110101
Closest metre Iambic dimeter
Characters 1,099
Words 208
Sentences 18
Stanzas 13
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 52
Letters per line (avg) 17
Words per line (avg) 4
Letters per stanza (avg) 68
Words per stanza (avg) 16
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 02, 2023

1:04 min read
364

William Blake

William Blake was an English poet, painter and printmaker. more…

All William Blake poems | William Blake Books

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