Act the Second: Scene X
ASTOLFO. Ah, how rarely fate doth lieWhen it some misfortune threatens!Dubious when 'tis good that's promised,When 'tis evil, ah, too certain!--What a good astrologerWould he be, whose art foretellethOnly cruel things; for, doubtless,They would turn out true for ever!This in Sigismund and meIs exemplified, Estrella,Since between our separate fortunesSuch a difference is presented.In his case had been foreseenMurders, miseries, and excesses,And in all they turned out true,Since all happened as expected.But in mine, here seeing, lady,Rays so rare and so resplendentThat the sun is but their shadow.And even heaven a faint resemblance,When fate promised me good fortune,Trophies, praises, and all blessings,It spoke ill and it spoke well;For it was of both expressive,When it held out hopes of favour,But disdain alone effected.
ESTRELLA. Oh, I doubt not these fine speechesAre quite true, although intendedDoubtless for that other lady,She whose portrait was suspendedFrom your neck, when first, Astolfo,At this Court here you addressed me.This being so, 'tis she aloneWho these compliments deserveth.Go and pay them to herself,For like bills that are protestedIn the counting-house of love,Are those flatteries and finessesWhich to other kings and ladiesHave been previously presented.
Words in this poem
- dubious a.
- Doubtful or not settled in opinion; being in doubt; wavering or fluctuating; undetermined. [L. dubius, dubiosus, fr. duo two. See Two, and cf. Doubt.]
- astrologer n.
- One who studies the stars; an astronomer. [See Astrology.]
- doubtless a.
- Free from fear or suspicion.
- foreseen conj.
- , or (strictly) p. p. Provided; in case that; on condition that.
- spoke n.
- The radius or ray of a wheel; one of the small bars which are inserted in the hub, or nave, and which serve to support the rim or felly. [OE. spoke, spake, AS, spaca; akin to D. speek, LG. speke, OHG. speihha, G. speiche. sq. root170. Cf. Spike a nail.]
- favour n.
- Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will. [Written also favour.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Act the Second: Scene X is in the public domain. This text is taken from Life Is a Dream, Project Gutenberg ebook #6363, the Denis Florence MacCarthy translation; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Act the Second: Scene X, in Life Is a Dream (1873), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #6363, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/calderon-life-is-a-dream/act-the-second-scene-x.html, id L26575.
Form and metre
Act the Second: Scene X is 40 lines in 2 stanzas. The metre is trochaic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 84%).
See other poems in trochaic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 ---------------A---------A lie · threatens · promised · certain · astrologer · foretelleth · doubtless · ever · me · estrella · fortunes · presented · foreseen · excesses · true · expectedA · lady · resplendent · shadow · resemblance · fortune · blessings · well · expressive · favour · effectedA
- 2 -A-A---------- speeches · intendedA · lady · suspendedA · astolfo · me · alone · deserveth · herself · protested · love · finesses · ladies · presented
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against trochaic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| ASTOLFO. Ah, how rarely fate doth lie | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| When it some misfortune threatens! | 8 | ···˘/˘/˘ |
| Dubious when 'tis good that's promised, | 9 | /˘˘····/˘ |
| When 'tis evil, ah, too certain!-- | 8 | ··/˘··/˘ |
| What a good astrologer | 7 | ···˘/˘˘ |
| Would he be, whose art foretelleth | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| Only cruel things; for, doubtless, | 8 | /˘/˘··/˘ |
| They would turn out true for ever! | 8 | ······/˘ |
| This in Sigismund and me | 7 | ······· |
| Is exemplified, Estrella, | 8 | ·˘/˘··/˘ |
| Since between our separate fortunes | 9 | ···//˘˘/˘ |
| Such a difference is presented. | 9 | ··/˘˘·˘/˘ |
| In his case had been foreseen | 7 | ······/ |
| Murders, miseries, and excesses, | 9 | /˘/˘˘··/˘ |
| And in all they turned out true, | 8 | ·····˘·· |
| Since all happened as expected. | 8 | ··/˘·˘/˘ |
| But in mine, here seeing, lady, | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| Rays so rare and so resplendent | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| That the sun is but their shadow. | 8 | ······/· |
| And even heaven a faint resemblance, | 9 | ·//˘··˘/˘ |
| When fate promised me good fortune, | 8 | ··/˘··/˘ |
| Trophies, praises, and all blessings, | 8 | /˘/˘··/˘ |
| It spoke ill and it spoke well; | 7 | ······· |
| For it was of both expressive, | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| When it held out hopes of favour, | 8 | ······/˘ |
| But disdain alone effected. | 8 | ·˘/˘/˘/˘ |
| ESTRELLA. Oh, I doubt not these fine speeches | 11 | ·/˘······/˘ |
| Are quite true, although intended | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| Doubtless for that other lady, | 8 | /˘··/˘/˘ |
| She whose portrait was suspended | 8 | ··/˘·˘/˘ |
| From your neck, when first, Astolfo, | 8 | ········ |
| At this Court here you addressed me. | 8 | ·····˘/· |
| This being so, 'tis she alone | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| Who these compliments deserveth. | 8 | ··/˘˘˘/˘ |
| Go and pay them to herself, | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| For like bills that are protested | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| In the counting-house of love, | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Are those flatteries and finesses | 8 | ··/˘˘·/˘ |
| Which to other kings and ladies | 8 | ··/˘··/˘ |
| Have been previously presented. | 9 | ··/˘˘˘˘/˘ |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.