Analysis of While History's Muse

Thomas Moore 1779 (Dublin) – 1852 (Bromham)



While History's Muse the memorial was keeping
Of all that the dark hand of Destiny weaves,
Beside her the Genius of Erin stood weeping,
For hers was the story that blotted the leaves.
But oh! how the tear in her eyelids grew bright,
When, after whole pages of sorrow and shame,
She saw History write,
With a pencil of light
That illumed the whole volume, her Wellington's name.

"Yet still the last crown of thy toils is remaining,
The grandest, the purest, even thou hast yet known;
Though proud was thy task, other nations unchaining,
Far prouder to heal the deep wounds of thy own.
At the foot of that throne, for whose weal thou hast stood,
Go, plead for the land that first cradled thy fame,
And, bright o'er the flood
Of her tears, and her blood,
Let the rainbow of Hope be her Wellington's name."


Scheme ABABCDCCD AEAEXDFFD
Poetic Form
Metre 1100100100110 11101111001 010010110110 10101011001 1110100111 11011011001 111001 101011 11011001001 110111111010 010010101111 1111110101 11011011111 101111111111 1110111111 011001 101001 10111101001
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 810
Words 150
Sentences 6
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 9, 9
Lines Amount 18
Letters per line (avg) 35
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 313
Words per stanza (avg) 74
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

45 sec read
33

Thomas Moore

Thomas Moore was an Irish poet singer songwriter and entertainer now best remembered for the lyrics of The Minstrel Boy and the The Last Rose of Summer more…

All Thomas Moore poems | Thomas Moore Books

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