On Retzsch’s Design of the Angel of Death
Well might thine awful image thus ariseWith that high calm upon thy regal brow,And the deep, solemn sweetness in those eyes,Unto the glorious artist! Who but thouThe fleeting forms of beauty can endowFor him with permanence? who make those gleamsOf brighter life, that colour his lone dreams,Immortal things? Let others trembling bow,Angel of Death! before thee;--not to thoseWhose spirits with Eternal Truth repose,Art thou a fearful shape! And oh! for me,How full of welcome would thine aspect shine,Did not the cords of strong affection twineSo fast around my soul, it cannot spring to thee!
Words in this poem
- glorious a.
- Exhibiting attributes, qualities, or acts that are worthy of or receive glory; noble; praiseworthy; excellent; splendid; illustrious; inspiring admiration; as, glorious deeds. [OF. glorios, glorious, F. glorieux, fr. L. gloriosus. See Glory, n.]
- artist n.
- One who practices some mechanic art or craft; an artisan. [F. artiste, LL. artista, fr. L. ars. See Art, n., and cf. Artiste.]
- lone n.
- A lane. See Loanin.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
On Retzsch’s Design of the Angel of Death is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poems of Felicia Hemans, Project Gutenberg ebook #66785; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Felicia Hemans, On Retzsch’s Design of the Angel of Death, in Poems (1808–1835), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #66785, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/hemans-poems/on-retzsch-s-design-of-the-angel-of-death.html, id L19831.
Form and metre
On Retzsch’s Design of the Angel of Death is 14 lines in a single stanza. It rhymes ABABBCCBDDEFFE. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 90%).
See other poems in iambic pentameter.
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 ABABBCCBDDEFFE ariseA · browB · eyesA · thouB · endowB · gleamsC · dreamsC · bowB · thoseD · reposeD · meE · shineF · twineF · theeE
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 iambic pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Well might thine awful image thus arise | 10 | ···/˘/˘·˘/ |
| With that high calm upon thy regal brow, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| And the deep, solemn sweetness in those eyes, | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| Unto the glorious artist! Who but thou | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| The fleeting forms of beauty can endow | 10 | ·/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| For him with permanence? who make those gleams | 10 | ···/˘˘···· |
| Of brighter life, that colour his lone dreams, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| Immortal things? Let others trembling bow, | 10 | ˘/˘··/˘/˘· |
| Angel of Death! before thee;--not to those | 10 | /˘········ |
| Whose spirits with Eternal Truth repose, | 10 | ·/˘·˘/˘·˘/ |
| Art thou a fearful shape! And oh! for me, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| How full of welcome would thine aspect shine, | 10 | ···/˘··/·· |
| Did not the cords of strong affection twine | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| So fast around my soul, it cannot spring to thee! | 12 | ·······/˘··· |
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.