Analysis of Written In A Quarrel

William Cowper 1731 (Berkhamsted) – 1800 (Dereham)



Think, Delia, with what cruel haste
Our fleeting pleasures move,
Nor heedless in sorrow waste
The moments due to love;

Be wise, my fair, and gently treat
These few that are our friends;
Think thus abused, what sad regret
Their speedy flight attends!

Sure in those eyes I loved so well,
And wished so long to see,
Anger I thought could never dwell,
Or anger aimed at me.

No bold offence of mine I knew
Should e'er provoke your hate;
And, early taught to think you true,
Still hoped a gentler fate.

With kindness bless the present hour,
Or oh! we meet in vain!
What can we do in absence more
Than suffer and complain?

Fated to ills beyond redress,
We must endure our woe;
The days allowed us to possess,
'Tis madness to forego.


Scheme AXAX XBXB CDCD EFEF XGXG HIHI
Poetic Form Quatrain  (83%)
Metre 11011101 1010101 110101 010111 11110101 1111101 11011101 110101 10111111 011111 10111101 110111 1111111 1100111 01011111 110101 110101010 111101 11110101 110001 10110101 1101101 01011101 110101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 711
Words 137
Sentences 8
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 94
Words per stanza (avg) 23
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

41 sec read
121

William Cowper

William Macquarie Cowper was an Australian Anglican archdeacon and Dean of Sydney. more…

All William Cowper poems | William Cowper Books

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