Analysis of Woman! When I Behold Thee Flippant, Vain

John Keats 1795 (Moorgate) – 1821 (Rome)



Woman! when I behold thee flippant, vain,
Inconstant, childish, proud, and full of fancies;
Without that modest softening that enhances
The downcast eye, repentant of the pain
That its mild light creates to heal again:
E'en then, elate, my spirit leaps, and prances,
E'en then my soul with exultation dances
For that to love, so long, I've dormant lain:
But when I see thee meek, and kind, and tender,
Heavens! how desperately do I adore
Thy winning graces;--to be thy defender
I hotly burn--to be a Calidore--
A very Red Cross Knight--a stout Leander--
Might I be loved by thee like these of yore.

Light feet, dark violet eyes, and parted hair;
Soft dimpled hands, white neck, and creamy breast,
Are things on which the dazzled senses rest
Till the fond, fixed eyes, forget they stare.
From such fine pictures, heavens! I cannot dare
To turn my admiration, though unpossess'd
They be of what is worthy,--though not drest
In lovely modesty, and virtues rare.
Yet these I leave as thoughtless as a lark;
These lures I straight forget--e'en ere I dine,
Or thrice my palate moisten: but when I mark
Such charms with mild intelligences shine,
My ear is open like a greedy shark,
To catch the tunings of a voice divine.

Ah! who can e'er forget so fair a being?
Who can forget her half retiring sweets?
God! she is like a milk-white lamb that bleats
For man's protection. Surely the All-seeing,
Who joys to see us with his gifts agreeing,
Will never give him pinions, who intreats
Such innocence to ruin,--who vilely cheats
A dove-like bosom. In truth there is no freeing
One's thoughts from such a beauty; when I hear
A lay that once I saw her hand awake,
Her form seems floating palpable, and near;
Had I e'er seen her from an arbour take
A dewy flower, oft would that hand appear,
And o'er my eyes the trembling moisture shake.


Scheme ABCAXCXADEDDDE FGGFFGGFHIHIHI JKBJJBKJXLMLML
Poetic Form
Metre 1011011101 110101110 011101001010 011010101 1111011101 111011101010 111111110 1111111101 11111101010 10110001101 11010111010 11011101 01011101010 1111111111 11110010101 1101110101 1111010101 101110111 11110101101 11101011 1111110111 0101000101 1111110101 11110111111 11110101111 111111 1111010101 110110101 111100111010 1101010101 1111011111 11010100110 11111111010 11011111 1100110111 011100111110 1111010111 0111110101 0111010001 11101011101 01010111101 010110100101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,832
Words 329
Sentences 15
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 14, 14, 14
Lines Amount 42
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 471
Words per stanza (avg) 108
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 10, 2023

1:41 min read
155

John Keats

John Keats was an English Romantic poet. more…

All John Keats poems | John Keats Books

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