Analysis of To A Snowflake

Francis Thompson 1859 (City of Preston, Lancashire) – 1907 (London)



What heart could have thought you? --
Past our devisal
(O filigree petal!)
Fashioned so purely,
Fragilely, surely,
From what Paradisal
Imagineless metal,
Too costly for cost?
Who hammered you, wrought you,
From argentine vapor? --
"God was my shaper.
Passing surmisal,
He hammered, He wrought me,
From curled silver vapor,
To lust of His mind --
Thou could'st not have thought me!
So purely, so palely,
Tinily, surely,
Mightily, frailly,
Insculped and embossed,
With His hammer of wind,
And His graver of frost."


Scheme ABBBBBBCADDBEDFEBBBGFG
Poetic Form
Metre 111111 1101 11010 10110 110 111 110 11011 110111 11010 1111 101 110111 111010 11111 1111111 11011 110 1001 1001 111011 011011
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 520
Words 88
Sentences 8
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 22
Lines Amount 22
Letters per line (avg) 18
Words per line (avg) 4
Letters per stanza (avg) 393
Words per stanza (avg) 84
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 21, 2023

26 sec read
180

Francis Thompson

The Rt Rev Francis William Banahene Thompson was Bishop of Accra from 1983 to 1996. more…

All Francis Thompson poems | Francis Thompson Books

1 fan

Discuss this Francis Thompson poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "To A Snowflake" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 11 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/13948/to-a-snowflake>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    June 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    19
    days
    9
    hours
    34
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    "My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night."
    A Sylvia Plath
    B Wilfred Owen
    C Lord Byron
    D Edna St. Vincent Millay