Analysis of The Sphinx



Wanderer, behold Life's riddle writ in stone,
Fronting Eternity with lidless eyes;
Of all that is beneath the changing skies,
Immutably abiding and alone.
The handiwork of hands unseen, unknown,
When Pharaohs of immortal dynasties
Built Pyramids to brave the centuries,
Cheating Annihilation of her own.

The heart grows hushed before it. Nay, methinks
That Man, and all on which Man wastes his breath,
The World, and all the World inheriteth,
With infinite, inexorable links
Grappling the soul; that love, hate, birth and death
Dwindle to nothingness before thee--Sphinx.


Scheme ABBAACCA BDDEDE
Poetic Form
Metre 10001110101 100100111 1111010101 1010001 010110101 1101010100 1100110100 100010101 011101111 1101111111 0101011 110010001 1001111101 1011000111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 579
Words 91
Sentences 5
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 6
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 33
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 230
Words per stanza (avg) 45
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

27 sec read
45

Mathilde Blind

 · 1841 · Mannheim
 · 1896 · London

Mathilde Blind, was a German-born British poet. Her work was praised by Matthew Arnold and French politician and historian Louis Blanc. more…

All Mathilde Blind poems | Mathilde Blind Books

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