On a Shadow in a Glass
By something form'd, I nothing am,Yet everything that you can name;In no place have I ever been,Yet everywhere I may be seen;In all things false, yet always true,I'm still the same--but ever new.Lifeless, life's perfect form I wear,Can show a nose, eye, tongue, or ear,Yet neither smell, see, taste, or hear.All shapes and features I can boast,No flesh, no bones, no blood--no ghost:All colours, without paint, put on,And change like the cameleon.Swiftly I come, and enter there,Where not a chink lets in the air;Like thought, I'm in a moment gone,Nor can I ever be alone:All things on earth I imitateFaster than nature can create;Sometimes imperial robes I wear,Anon in beggar's rags appear;A giant now, and straight an elf,I'm every one, but ne'er myself;Ne'er sad I mourn, ne'er glad rejoice,I move my lips, but want a voice;I ne'er was born, nor e'er can die,Then, pr'ythee, tell me what am I?
Most things by me do rise and fall,And, as I please, they're great and small;Invading foes without resistance,With ease I make to keep their distance:Again, as I'm disposed, the foeWill come, though not a foot they go.Both mountains, woods, and hills, and rocksAnd gamesome goats, and fleecy flocks,And lowing herds, and piping swains,Come dancing to me o'er the plains.The greatest whale that swims the seaDoes instantly my power obey.In vain from me the sailor flies,The quickest ship I can surprise,And turn it as I have a mind,And move it against tide and wind.Nay, bring me here the tallest man,I'll squeeze him to a little span;Or bring a tender child, and pliant,You'll see me stretch him to a giant:Nor shall they in the least complain,Because my magic gives no pain.
Words in this poem
- ghost n.
- The spirit; the soul of man. [OE. gast, gost, soul, spirit, AS. gast breath, spirit, soul; akin to OS. g spirit, soul, D. geest, G. geist, and prob. to E. gaze, ghastly.]
- anon adv.
- Straightway; at once. [OE. anoon, anon, anan, lit., in one (moment), fr. AS. on in + an one. See On and One.]
- gamesome a.
- Gay; sportive; playful; frolicsome; merry.
- fleecy a.
- Covered with, made of, or resembling, a fleece.
- lowing n.
- The calling sound made by cows and other bovine animals.
- piping a.
- Playing on a musical pipe. [From Pipe, v.]
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
On a Shadow in a Glass is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2, Project Gutenberg ebook #13621; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Jonathan Swift, On a Shadow in a Glass, in Cadenus and Vanessa, and Other Poems (1710–1745), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #13621, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/swift-poems/on-a-shadow-in-a-glass.html, id L18545.
Form and metre
On a Shadow in a Glass is 49 lines in 2 verse paragraphs. It is in rhyming couplets, 69% of the lines: octosyllabic couplets. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 92%). 97% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 8.1 syllables. 5 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 8% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in octosyllabic couplets, 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 ----AABCCDDE-BBE-FFBCGGHHII am · name · been · seen · trueA · newA · wearB · earC · hearC · boastD · ghostD · onE · cameleon · thereB · airB · goneE · alone · imitateF · createF · wearB · appearC · elfG · myselfG · rejoiceH · voiceH · dieI · iI
- 2 AABBCCDDEE--FFGGHHIIJJ fallA · smallA · resistanceB · distanceB · foeC · goC · rocksD · flocksD · swainsE · plainsE · sea · obey · fliesF · surpriseF · mindG · windG · manH · spanH · pliantI · giantI · complainJ · painJ
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 |
|---|---|---|
| By something form'd, I nothing am, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Yet everything that you can name; | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| In no place have I ever been, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Yet everywhere I may be seen; | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| In all things false, yet always true, | 8 | ·····/·· |
| I'm still the same--but ever new. | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Lifeless, life's perfect form I wear, | 8 | /˘·˘/··· |
| Can show a nose, eye, tongue, or ear, | 8 | ········ |
| Yet neither smell, see, taste, or hear. | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| All shapes and features I can boast, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| No flesh, no bones, no blood--no ghost: | 8 | ········ |
| All colours, without paint, put on, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| And change like the cameleon. | 8 | ····˘/˘˘ |
| Swiftly I come, and enter there, | 8 | /˘···/˘· |
| Where not a chink lets in the air; | 8 | ········ |
| Like thought, I'm in a moment gone, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Nor can I ever be alone: | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| All things on earth I imitate | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Faster than nature can create; | 8 | /˘·/˘·˘/ |
| Sometimes imperial robes I wear, | 8 | ˘/˘/˘··· |
| Anon in beggar's rags appear; | 8 | ˘/·/˘·˘/ |
| A giant now, and straight an elf, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| I'm every one, but ne'er myself; | 8 | ·/˘····/ |
| Ne'er sad I mourn, ne'er glad rejoice, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| I move my lips, but want a voice; | 8 | ········ |
| I ne'er was born, nor e'er can die, | 8 | ········ |
| Then, pr'ythee, tell me what am I? | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Most things by me do rise and fall, | 8 | ········ |
| And, as I please, they're great and small; | 8 | ········ |
| Invading foes without resistance, | 9 | ˘/˘···˘/˘ |
| With ease I make to keep their distance: | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Again, as I'm disposed, the foe | 8 | ˘/··˘/·· |
| Will come, though not a foot they go. | 8 | ········ |
| Both mountains, woods, and hills, and rocks | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| And gamesome goats, and fleecy flocks, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| And lowing herds, and piping swains, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Come dancing to me o'er the plains. | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| The greatest whale that swims the sea | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Does instantly my power obey. | 8 | ·/˘˘·/˘/ |
| In vain from me the sailor flies, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| The quickest ship I can surprise, | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| And turn it as I have a mind, | 8 | ········ |
| And move it against tide and wind. | 8 | ········ |
| Nay, bring me here the tallest man, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| I'll squeeze him to a little span; | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Or bring a tender child, and pliant, | 9 | ···/˘··/˘ |
| You'll see me stretch him to a giant: | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Nor shall they in the least complain, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| Because my magic gives no pain. | 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.