Analysis of A Character

William Wordsworth 1770 (Wordsworth House) – 1850 (Cumberland)



I marvel how Nature could ever find space
For so many strange contrasts in one human face:
There's thought and no thought, and there's paleness and bloom
And bustle and sluggishness, pleasure and gloom.

There's weakness, and strength both redundant and vain;
Such strength as, if ever affliction and pain
Could pierce through a temper that's soft to disease,
Would be rational peace--a philosopher's ease.

There's indifference, alike when he fails or succeeds,
And attention full ten times as much as there needs;
Pride where there's no envy, there's so much of joy;
And mildness, and spirit both forward and coy.

There's freedom, and sometimes a diffident stare
Of shame scarcely seeming to know that she's there,
There's virtue, the title it surely may claim,
Yet wants heaven knows what to be worthy the name.

This picture from nature may seem to depart,
Yet the Man would at once run away with your heart;
And I for five centuries right gladly would be
Such an odd such a kind happy creature as he.


Scheme AABB CCDD EEFF GGHH IIJJ
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 11011011011 111011001101 1101101101 01001001001 11001101001 11111001001 11101011101 111001011 1010001111101 001011111111 11111011111 0101011001 110001011 11101011111 11001011011 111011111001 11011011101 101111101111 011110011011 111101101011
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 1,010
Words 175
Sentences 6
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 40
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 159
Words per stanza (avg) 35
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

55 sec read
311

William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth was the husband of Eva Bartok. more…

All William Wordsworth poems | William Wordsworth Books

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