Analysis of On Receiving A Curious Shell
John Keats 1795 (Moorgate) – 1821 (Rome)
Hast thou from the caves of Golconda, a gem
Pure as the ice-drop that froze on the mountain?
Bright as the humming-bird's green diadem,
When it flutters in sun-beams that shine through a fountain?
Hast thou a goblet for dark sparkling wine?
That goblet right heavy, and massy, and gold?
And splendidly mark'd with the story divine
Of Armida the fair, and Rinaldo the bold?
Hast thou a steed with a mane richly flowing?
Hast thou a sword that thine enemy's smart is?
Hast thou a trumpet rich melodies blowing?
And wear'st thou the shield of the fam’d Britomartis?
What is it that hangs from thy shoulder, so brave,
Embroidered with many a spring peering flower?
Is it a scarf that thy fair lady gave?
And hastest thou now to that fair lady's bower?
Ah! courteous Sir Knight, with large joy thou art crown'd;
Full many the glories that brighten thy youth!
I will tell thee my blisses, which richly abound
In magical powers to bless, and to sooth.
On this scroll thou seest written in characters fair
A sun-beamy tale of a wreath, and a chain;
And, warrior, it nurtures the property rare
Of charming my mind from the trammels of pain.
This canopy mark: 'tis the work of a fay;
Beneath its rich shade did King Oberon languish,
When lovely Titania was far, far away,
And cruelly left him to sorrow, and anguish.
There, oft would he bring from his soft sighing lute
Wild strains to which, spell-bound, the nightingales listened;
The wondering spirits of heaven were mute,
And tears 'mong the dewdrops of morning oft glistened.
In this little dome, all those melodies strange,
Soft, plaintive, and melting, for ever will sigh;
Nor e'er will the notes from their tenderness change;
Nor e'er will the music of Oberon die.
So, when I am in a voluptuous vein,
I pillow my head on the sweets of the rose,
And list to the tale of the wreath, and the chain,
Till its echoes depart; then I sink to repose.
Adieu, valiant Eric! with joy thou art crown'd;
Full many the glories that brighten thy youth,
I too have my blisses, which richly abound
In magical powers, to bless and to sooth.
Scheme | abab cdcd efef ghgh iJiJ klkl mnmn opop qrqr lsls iJiJ |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain |
Metre | 11101101001 11011111010 110101110 1110011111010 1101011101 1101100101 01001101001 101001001001 11011011010 11011110011 11010110010 0111011011 11111111011 010110011010 1101111101 01111111010 110011111111 11001011011 11111111001 01001011011 111111001001 0111101001 010011001001 1101110111 11001101101 01111111010 11001011101 01011110010 11111111101 1111110110 01001011001 01101110110 01101111001 11001011011 110101111001 11010101101 11110001001 11011101101 01101101001 111001111101 01101011111 11001011011 1111111001 01001011011 |
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 2,080 |
Words | 374 |
Sentences | 23 |
Stanzas | 11 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 44 |
Letters per line (avg) | 37 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 147 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 34 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 10, 2023
- 1:55 min read
- 169 Views
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"On Receiving A Curious Shell" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 2 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/23418/on-receiving-a-curious-shell>.
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