Analysis of A Balade of Complaint

Geoffrey Chaucer 1343 (London) – 1400 (London)



Compleyne ne koude, ne might myn herte never,
My peynes halve, ne what torment I have,
Though that I sholde in your presence ben ever,
Myn hertes lady, as wisly he me save
That Bountee made, and Beautee list to grave
In your persone, and bad hem bothe in-fere
Ever t'awayte, and ay be wher ye were.

As wisly he gye alle my joyes here
As I am youres, and to yow sad and trewe,
And ye, my lyf and cause of my gode chere,
And deeth also, whan ye my peynes newe,
My worldes joye, whom I wol serve and sewe,
Myn heven hool, and al my suffisaunce,
Whom for to serve is set al my plesaunce.

Beseching yow in my most humble wyse
T'accepte in worth this litel pore dyte,
And for my trouthe my servyce not despyse,
Myn observaunce eke have not in despyte,
Ne yit to longe to suffren in this plyte;
I yow beseche, myn hertes lady, here,
Sith I yow serve, and so wil yeer by yere.


Scheme AXABBAA CDADDEE EFEFFCA
Poetic Form
Metre 111111110 11111111 11110110110 111011111 11101111 011011101 101011110 11111111 1111011101 0111011111 011011111 111111101 1110111 111111111 11011101 1011111 01111111 1111101 111111011 11111101 1111011111
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 856
Words 175
Sentences 4
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 7, 7, 7
Lines Amount 21
Letters per line (avg) 32
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 221
Words per stanza (avg) 58
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 21, 2023

53 sec read
494

Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer, known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey. more…

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