Analysis of Handsome Nell
Robert Burns 1759 (Alloway) – 1796 (Dumfries)
O, once I lov'd a bonnie lass,
Aye, and I love her still;
And whilst that virtue warms my breast
I'll love my handsome Nell.
As bonnie lasses I hae seen,
And mony full as braw,
But for a modest gracefu' mien
The like I never saw.
A bonnie lass, I will confess,
Is pleasant to the ee,
But without some letter qualities
She's no a lass for me.
But Nellie's looks are blithe and sweet,
And what is best of a'
Her reputation is complete,
And fair without a flaw.
She dresses aye sae clean and neat,
Both decent and genteel;
And then there's something in her gait
Gars ony dress look weel.
A gaudy dress and gentle air
May slightly touch the heart,
But it's innocence and modesty
That polishes the dart.
'Tis this in Nelly pleases me,
'Tis this enchants my soul
For absolutely in my breast
She reigns without control.
Scheme | XABX CDCE XFXF GXGE GXXA DHFH FIBI |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (57%) |
Metre | 11110101 101101 01110111 111101 1101111 010111 1101011 011101 01011101 110101 101110100 110111 1111101 011110 0010101 010101 11011101 110001 01110001 11111 01010101 110101 111000100 1101 11010101 11111 1010011 110101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 863 |
Words | 156 |
Sentences | 8 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 28 |
Letters per line (avg) | 22 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 90 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 22 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 04, 2023
- 48 sec read
- 302 Views
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