Analysis of To Mrs. Newton
William Cowper 1731 (Berkhamsted) – 1800 (Dereham)
A noble theme demands a noble verse,
In such I thank you for your fine oysters.
The barrel was magnificently large,
But, being sent to Olney at free charge,
Was not inserted in the driver's list,
And therefore overlook'd, forgot, or miss'd;
For, when the messenger whom we despatch'd
Inquir'd for oysters, Hob his noddle scratch'd;
Denying that his wagon or his wain
Did any such commodity contain.
In consequence of which, your welcome boon
Did not arrive till yesterday at noon;
In consequence of which some chanc'd to die,
And some, though very sweet, were very dry.
Now Madam says, (and what she says must still
Deserve attention, say she what she will,)
That what we call the diligence, be-case
It goes to London with a swifter pace,
Would better suit the carriage of your gift,
Returning downward with a pace as swift;
And therefore recommends it with this aim--
To save at least three days, -- the price the same;
For though it will not carry or convey
For less than twelve pence, send whate'er you may,
For oyster bred upon the salt sea-shore,
Pack'd in a barrel, they will charge no more.
News have I none that I can deign to write,
Save that it rain'd prodigiously last night;
And that ourselves were, at the seventh hour,
Caught in the first beginning of the show'r;
But walking, running, and with much ado,
Go home -- just time enough to be wet through,
Yet both are well, and, wond'rous to be told,
Soused as we were, we yet have caught no cold,
And wishing just the same good hap to you,
We say, good Madam, and good Sir, adieu.
Scheme | XXAABBBXCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJKK LLXXMMNNMM |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 0101010101 0111111110 0101010001 1101110111 1101000101 01100111 110100111 0101101111 0101110111 1101010001 0100111101 110111011 0100111111 0111010101 1101011111 0101011111 1111010011 1111010101 1101010111 0101010111 01011111 1111110101 1111110101 1111111011 1101010111 1001011111 1111111111 1111010011 010010101010 10010101011 1101001101 1111011111 111101111 1110111111 0101011111 1111001101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,516 |
Words | 284 |
Sentences | 6 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 26, 10 |
Lines Amount | 36 |
Letters per line (avg) | 33 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 594 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 141 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:28 min read
- 86 Views
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"To Mrs. Newton" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 Sep. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/40222/to-mrs.-newton>.
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