Impromptu, to Lady Winchelsea
Alexander Pope 1688 (London) – 1744 (Twickenham)
In vain you boast Poetic Names of yore,
And cite those Sapho's we admire no more:
Fate doom'd the Fall of ev'ry Female Wit,
But doom'd it then when first Ardelia writ.
Of all Examples by the World confest,
I knew Ardelia could not quote the best;
Who, like her Mistress on Britannia's Throne;
Fights, and subdues in Quarrels not her own.
To write their Praise you but in vain essay;
Ev'n while you write, you take that Praise away:
Light to the Stars the Sun does thus restore,
But shines himself till they are seen no more.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 13, 2023
- 31 sec read
- 139 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AABBBCDDEEAA |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 521 |
Words | 100 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 12 |
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"Impromptu, to Lady Winchelsea" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/468/impromptu,-to-lady-winchelsea>.
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