Analysis of I Dreamed Of Forest Alleys fair

Robert Louis Stevenson 1850 (Edinburgh) – 1894 (Vailima, Samoa)



I DREAMED of forest alleys fair
And fields of gray-flowered grass,
Where by the yellow summer moon
My Jenny seemed to pass.

I dreamed the yellow summer moon,
Behind a cedar wood,
Lay white on fields of rippling grass
Where I and Jenny stood.

I dreamed - but fallen through my dream,
In a rainy land I lie
Where wan wet morning crowns the hills
Of grim reality.

I am as one that keeps awake
All night in the month of June,
That lies awake in bed to watch
The trees and great white moon.

For memories of love are more
Than the white moon there above,
And dearer than quiet moonshine
Are the thoughts of her I love.

Last night I lingered long without
My last of loves to see.
Alas! the moon-white window-panes
Stared blindly back on me.

To-day I hold her very hand,
Her very waist embrace -
Like clouds across a pool, I read
Her thoughts upon her face.

And yet, as now, through her clear eyes
I seek the inner shrine -
I stoop to read her virgin heart
In doubt if it be mine -

O looking long and fondly thus,
What vision should I see?
No vision, but my own white face
That grins and mimics me.

Once more upon the same old seat
In the same sunshiny weather,
The elm-trees' shadows at their feet
And foliage move together.

The shadows shift upon the grass,
The dial point creeps on;
The clear sun shines, the loiterers pass,
As then they passed and shone.

But now deep sleep is on my heart,
Deep sleep and perfect rest.
Hope's flutterings now disturb no more
The quiet of my breast.


Scheme XABA BCAC XXXD XBXB EFGF XDXD XHXH XGIG XDHD JKJK AXAX ILEL
Poetic Form Quatrain  (83%)
Metre 11110101 0111101 11010101 110111 11010101 010101 111111001 110101 11110111 0010111 11110101 1110 11111101 1100111 11010111 010111 11001111 1011101 0101101 1011011 11110101 111111 01011101 110111 11110101 010101 11010111 010101 01111011 110101 11110101 011111 11010101 110111 11011111 110101 11010111 0011010 0111111 0101010 0110101 010111 0111011 111101 11111111 110011 1110111 010111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,450
Words 290
Sentences 20
Stanzas 12
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 48
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 96
Words per stanza (avg) 24
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:27 min read
154

Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist, and travel writer. more…

All Robert Louis Stevenson poems | Robert Louis Stevenson Books

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    Which author is considered to be Scotland’s national poet?
    A Edwin Morgan
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    C Robert Louis Stevenson
    D Danny Boyle