Analysis of Womanhood
Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919
She must be honest, both in thought and deed,
Of generous impulse, and above all greed;
Not seeking praise, or place, or power, or pelf,
But life’s best blessings for her higher self,
Which means the best for all.
She must have faith,
To make good friends of Trouble, Pain, and Death,
And understand their message.
She should be
As redolent with tender sympathy
As a rose is with fragrance.
Cheerfulness
Should be her mantle, even though her dress
May be of Sorrow’s weaving.
On her face
A loyal nature leaves its seal of grace,
And chastity is in her atmosphere.
Not that chill chastity which seems austere
(Like untrod snow-peaks, lovely to behold
Till once attained – then barren, loveless, cold):
But the white flame that feeds upon the soul
And lights the pathway to a peaceful goal.
A sense of humour, and a touch of mirth,
To brighten up the shadowy spots of earth;
And pride that passes evil – choosing good.
All these unite in perfect womanhood.
Scheme | AABBCDEFGGHHIJKKLLMMNNOOPP |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1111010101 11001000111 11011111011 1111010101 110111 1111 1111110101 001110 111 1100110100 1011110 1 1101010101 1111010 101 0101011111 010010010 1111001101 111110101 1101110101 1011110101 010110101 011100111 11010100111 0111010101 11100110 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,003 |
Words | 172 |
Sentences | 9 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 26 |
Lines Amount | 26 |
Letters per line (avg) | 29 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 748 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 170 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 51 sec read
- 46 Views
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"Womanhood" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/11013/womanhood>.
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