Analysis of Tragic Fragment

Robert Burns 1759 (Alloway) – 1796 (Dumfries)



All devil as I am-a damned wretch,
A hardened, stubborn, unrepenting villain,
Still my heart melts at human wretchedness;
And with sincere but unavailing sighs
I view the helpless children of distress:
With tears indignant I behold the oppressor
Rejoicing in the honest man's destruction,
Whose unsubmitting heart was all his crime. -
Ev'n you, ye hapless crew! I pity you;
Ye, whom the seeming good think sin to pity;
Ye poor, despised, abandoned vagabonds,
Whom Vice, as usual, has turn'd o'er to ruin.
Oh! but for friends and interposing Heaven,
I had been driven forth like you forlorn,
The most detested, worthless wretch among you!
O injured God! Thy goodness has endow'd me
With talents passing most of my compeers,
Which I in just proportion have abused-
As far surpassing other common villains
As Thou in natural parts has given me more.


Scheme ABCCCDBEFGCBBHFGCICJ
Poetic Form Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 110111011 01010110 11111101 010110101 1101010101 110101010010 01000101010 1111111 11111011101 11010111110 1101010100 1111001110110 11110110 1111011101 01010101011 11011101011 110101111 1101010101 11010101010 110100111011
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 835
Words 145
Sentences 8
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 20
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 33
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 669
Words per stanza (avg) 143
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 30, 2023

45 sec read
86

Robert Burns

Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and lyricist. more…

All Robert Burns poems | Robert Burns Books

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