Analysis of The Sailor's Mother
William Wordsworth 1770 (Wordsworth House) – 1850 (Cumberland)
ONE morning (raw it was and wet---
A foggy day in winter time)
A Woman on the road I met,
Not old, though something past her prime:
Majestic in her person, tall and straight;
And like a Roman matron's was her mien and gait.
The ancient spirit is not dead;
Old times, thought I, are breathing there;
Proud was I that my country bred
Such strength, a dignity so fair:
She begged an alms, like one in poor estate;
I looked at her again, nor did my pride abate.
When from these lofty thoughts I woke,
'What is it,' said I, 'that you bear,
Beneath the covert of your Cloak,
Protected from this cold damp air? '
She anwered, soon as she the question heard,
'A simple burthen, Sir, a little Singing-bird.'
And, thus continuing, she said,
'I had a Son, who many a day
Sailed on the seas, but he is dead;
In Denmark he was cast away:
And I have travelled weary miles to see
If aught which he had owned might still remain for me.
The bird and cage they both were his:
'Twas my Son's bird; and neat and trim
He kept it: many voyages
The singing-bird had gone with him;
When last he sailed, he left the bird behind;
From bodings, as might be, that hung upon his mind.
He to a fellow-lodger's care
Had left it, to be watched and fed,
And pipe its song in safety;---there
I found it when my Son was dead;
And now, God help me for my little wit!
I bear it with me, Sir;---he took so much delight in it.'
Scheme | ABABCC DEDECC FEFEGG DHDHII XJXJKK EDEDLL |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11011101 01010101 01010111 11110101 0100010101 01010110101 01010111 11111101 11111101 11010011 1111110101 111001111101 11110111 11111111 01010111 01011111 111110101 01011010101 01010011 110111001 11011111 0111101 0111010111 111111110111 01011101 11110101 11110100 01011111 1111110101 11111110111 1101011 11111101 01110101 11111111 0111111101 11111111110101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,477 |
Words | 279 |
Sentences | 9 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 36 |
Letters per line (avg) | 29 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 173 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 45 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 28, 2023
- 1:23 min read
- 161 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"The Sailor's Mother" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 2 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/42382/the-sailor%27s-mother>.
Discuss this William Wordsworth poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In