Analysis of A Trifle
Henry Timrod 1828 (Charleston) – 1867 (Columbia)
I know not why, but ev'n to me
My songs seem sweet when read to thee.
Perhaps in this the pleasure lies -
I read my thoughts within thine eyes.
And so dare fancy that my art
May sink as deeply as thy heart.
Perhaps I love to make my words
Sing round thee like so many birds,
Or, maybe, they are only sweet
As they seem offerings at thy feet.
Or haply, Lily, when I speak,
I think, perchance, they touch thy cheek,
Or with a yet more precious bliss,
Die on thy red lips in a kiss.
Each reason here - I cannot tell -
Or all perhaps may solve the spell.
But if she watch when I am by,
Lily may deeper see than I.
Scheme | AA BB CC DD EE FF GG HH II |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Couplet |
Metre | 111111111 11111111 01010101 11110111 01110111 11110111 01111111 11111101 11011101 111100111 1110111 11011111 11011101 11111001 11011101 11011101 11111111 10110111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 600 |
Words | 130 |
Sentences | 8 |
Stanzas | 9 |
Stanza Lengths | 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 |
Lines Amount | 18 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 51 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 14 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 39 sec read
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"A Trifle" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/18212/a-trifle>.
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