The Bird of Time: Songs of Life, Death & the Spring
Sarojini Naidu's second book, from 1912, gathering her songs of love and death, of the springtime, of Indian folk life and of the spirit.
Measured across the book
Across its 909 lines, 87% of stressed syllables fall on the beat (95% interval 86% to 88%). Alliteration runs at 1.23 times what shuffling the words would give (0.40 observed against 0.32 expected). 32% of the lines have a feminine ending.
Baselines and intervals are described in the methods.
Contents
The Bird of Timeiambic pentameter · 18 linesDirge: In Sorrow of Her Bereavementiambic pentameter · AABBCC · 24 linesAn Indian Love Songanapaestic hexameter · AABB · 21 linesIn Remembrance: Violet Clarkeiambic pentameter · ABAB · 24 linesLove and Deathiambic pentameter · 14 linesThe Dance of Loveiambic tetrameter · 24 linesA Love Song from the Northiambic pentameter · 22 linesAt Twilight: On the Way to Golcondaiambic pentameter · ABABAB · 30 linesAloneiambic pentameter · 12 linesA Rajput Love Songiambic heptameter · 26 linesA Persian Love Songiambic trimeter · ABAB · 12 linesTo Loveiambic pentameter · AABB · 12 linesSpringanapaestic common measure · ABAB · 16 linesA Song in Springiambic pentameter · 20 linesThe Joy of the Springtimeanapaestic tetrameter · 12 linesVasant Panchami: Lilavati's Lament at the Feast of Springiambic pentameter · AABBCC · 30 linesIn a Time of Flowersiambic pentameter · 26 linesIn Praise of Gulmohur Blossomsiambic tetrameter · 18 linesNasturtiumsanapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 6 linesGolden Cassiaiambic tetrameter · AABB · 12 linesChampak Blossomsiambic tetrameter · 24 linesEcstasyiambic pentameter · 16 linesVillage Songiambic pentameter · 22 linesSlumber Song for Sunalinitrochaic trimeter · AABCCB · 18 linesSongs of My City: I. In a Latticed Balconyanapaestic trimeter · ABAB · 12 linesSongs of My City: II. In the Bazaars of Hyderabaddactylic trimeter · 30 linesBangle-Sellersiambic pentameter · AABBCC · 24 linesThe Festival of Serpentsiambic heptameter · 16 linesSong of Radha the Milkmaidiambic pentameter · 30 linesSpinning Songiambic tetrameter · 27 linesHymn to Indra, Lord of Rainanapaestic tetrameter · 18 linesDeath and Lifeiambic pentameter · 14 linesThe Hussain Saagariambic pentameter · ABABCCBDEDE · 11 linesThe Faery Isle of Janjiraiambic pentameter · 20 linesThe Soul's Prayeriambic tetrameter · ABAB · 28 linesTransienceiambic pentameter · 12 linesThe Old Womananapaestic trimeter · 28 linesIn the Nightiambic pentameter · ABAABA · 12 linesAt Dawniambic pentameter · AABBCC · 18 linesAn Anthem of Loveiambic pentameter · 12 linesSolitudeanapaestic pentameter · ABAB · 16 linesA Challenge to Fateiambic pentameter · 36 linesThe Call to Evening Prayerdactylic tetrameter · 20 linesIn Salutation to the Eternal Peaceiambic pentameter · AABB · 18 linesMedley: A Kashmeri Songtrochaic tetrameter · 16 linesFarewelliambic tetrameter · 8 linesGuerdonanapaestic dimeter · 24 lines
About this text
Public domain. Text from The Bird of Time: Songs of Life, Death & the Spring (London: William Heinemann; New York: John Lane Company, 1912), Wikisource. Free to read, print, copy and reuse.