Analysis of The Least Possible

Edith Nesbit 1858 (Kennington, Surrey ) – 1924 (New Romney, Kent)



DEAR goddess of the shining shrine
Where all my votive tapers burn,
Where every gold-embroidered thought
And all my flowers of life are brought
--With many, alas! that are not mine--
What will you give me in return?

The bow in Bond Street--in the Park
The smile all worship on your lips,
The courteous word at dinner--dance--
But never a blush--a conscious glance;
At most, at Henley, in the dark,
Your fleet mistaken finger-tips?

Ah, just for once, once only, be
An altar-server--stoop and set me
Upon the altar richly wrought
Of your most secret flower-sweet thought:
One nightlight's flicker burn for me
Before you sleep and quite forget me.


Scheme ABCCAB DEFFDE GGCCGG
Poetic Form
Metre 11010101 1111101 110010101 011101111 110011111 11111001 01011001 01110111 010011101 110010101 11110001 11010101 11111101 110101011 01010101 111101011 1110111 011101011
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 635
Words 112
Sentences 5
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6
Lines Amount 18
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 167
Words per stanza (avg) 37
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

33 sec read
31

Edith Nesbit

Edith Nesbit (married name Edith Bland) was an English author and poet; she published her books for children under the name of E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on more than 60 books of children's literature. She was also a political activist and co-founded the Fabian Society, a socialist organisation later affiliated to the Labour Party. more…

All Edith Nesbit poems | Edith Nesbit Books

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