Interlude
"Signor Luigi," said the Jew,When the Sicilian's tale was told,"The were-wolf is a legend old,But the were-ass is something new,And yet for one I think it true.The days of wonder have not ceasedIf there are beasts in forms of men,As sure it happens now and then,Why may not man become a beast,In way of punishment at least?
"But this I will not now discuss,I leave the theme, that we may thusRemain within the realm of song.The story that I told before,Though not acceptable to all,At least you did not find too long.I beg you, let me try again,With something in a different vein,Before you bid the curtain fall.Meanwhile keep watch upon the door,Nor let the Landlord leave his chair,Lest he should vanish into air,And thus elude our search once more."
Thus saying, from his lips he blewA little cloud of perfumed breath,And then, as if it were a clewTo lead his footsteps safely through,Began his tale as followeth.
Words in this poem
- signor n.
- Sir; Mr; -- a title of address or respect among the Italians. [It. See Seignior.]
- discuss v. t.
- To break to pieces; to shatter. Sir T. Browne. [L. discussus, p. p. of discutere to strike asunder (hence came the sense to separate mentally, distinguish); dis- + quatere to shake, strike. See Quash.]
- meanwhile n.
- The intervening time; as, in the meantime (or mean time).
- clew v. t.
- To direct; to guide, as by a thread. [Cf. D. kluwenen. See Clew, n.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Interlude is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Complete Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Project Gutenberg ebook #1365; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Interlude, in A Psalm of Life, and Other Poems (1839–1882), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #1365, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/longfellow-poems/interlude-19.html, id L26302.
Form and metre
Interlude is 28 lines in 3 stanzas. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 86%).
See other poems in iambic 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 ABBAACDDCC jewA · toldB · oldB · newA · trueA · ceasedC · menD · thenD · beastC · leastC
- 2 AABCDBEEDCFFC discussA · thusA · songB · beforeC · allD · longB · againE · veinE · fallD · doorC · chairF · airF · moreC
- 3 ABAAB blewA · breathB · clewA · throughA · followethB
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 tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| "Signor Luigi," said the Jew, | 8 | /˘˘/˘··· |
| When the Sicilian's tale was told, | 8 | ··˘/˘··· |
| "The were-wolf is a legend old, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| But the were-ass is something new, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| And yet for one I think it true. | 8 | ········ |
| The days of wonder have not ceased | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| If there are beasts in forms of men, | 8 | ········ |
| As sure it happens now and then, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Why may not man become a beast, | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| In way of punishment at least? | 8 | ···/˘˘·· |
| "But this I will not now discuss, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| I leave the theme, that we may thus | 8 | ········ |
| Remain within the realm of song. | 8 | ˘/······ |
| The story that I told before, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Though not acceptable to all, | 8 | ··˘/˘˘·· |
| At least you did not find too long. | 8 | ········ |
| I beg you, let me try again, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| With something in a different vein, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Before you bid the curtain fall. | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Meanwhile keep watch upon the door, | 8 | /······· |
| Nor let the Landlord leave his chair, | 8 | ···/···· |
| Lest he should vanish into air, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| And thus elude our search once more." | 8 | ··˘//··· |
| Thus saying, from his lips he blew | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| A little cloud of perfumed breath, | 8 | ·/˘··˘/· |
| And then, as if it were a clew | 8 | ········ |
| To lead his footsteps safely through, | 8 | ···/·/˘· |
| Began his tale as followeth. | 8 | ˘/···/˘˘ |
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.