Analysis of The Malay—took the Pearl

Emily Dickinson 1830 (Amherst) – 1886 (Amherst)



The Malay—took the Pearl—
Not—I—the Earl—
I—feared the Sea—too much
Unsanctified—to touch—

Praying that I might be
Worthy—the Destiny—
The Swarthy fellow swam—
And bore my Jewel—Home—

Home to the Hut! What lot
Had I—the Jewel—got—
Borne on a Dusky Breasty—
I had not deemed a Vest
Of Amber—fit—

The Negro never knew
I—wooed it—too—
To gain, or be undone—
Alike to Him—One—


Scheme AABB CCXX DDDXX EEFF
Poetic Form
Metre 010101 1101 110111 111 101111 100100 010101 011101 110111 110101 11011 111101 1101 010101 1111 111101 01111
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 416
Words 65
Sentences 2
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 5, 4
Lines Amount 17
Letters per line (avg) 17
Words per line (avg) 4
Letters per stanza (avg) 71
Words per stanza (avg) 16
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

19 sec read
396

Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. more…

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