Laurel · Edmund Waller

Poetical Works

Edmund Waller (1606–1687) · 1645–1668

Heroic couplets: rhymed pairs of iambic pentameter · 9,063 lines in 157 sections

Edmund Waller and Sir John Denham, who smoothed the couplet into the instrument Dryden and Pope inherited.

Measured across the book

Across its 9,063 lines, 94% of stressed syllables fall on the beat (95% interval 94% to 94%). Alliteration runs at 0.95 times what shuffling the words would give (0.29 observed against 0.30 expected). 11% of the lines have a feminine ending.

Baselines and intervals are described in the methods.

Contents

To a Lady in Retirementunrhymed · 7 lines Miscellaneous Poemsiambic pentameter · AABB · 179 lines Of His Majesty's Receiving the News of the Duke of Buckingham'siambic pentameter · AABB · 46 lines On the Taking of Sallèiambic pentameter · AABB · 46 lines Upon His Majesty's Repairing of St Paul'siambic pentameter · AABB · 69 lines The Countess of Carlisle in Mourningiambic pentameter · AABB · 52 lines In Answer to One Who Writ a Libel Against the Countess of Carlisleiambic pentameter · ABABCC · 24 lines Of Her Chamberiambic pentameter · AABB · 76 lines On My Lady Dorothy Sidney's Pictureiambic pentameter · 24 lines At Penshurstiambic pentameter · AABB · 32 lines Of the Lady Who Can Sleep When She Pleasesiambic pentameter · AABB · 22 lines Of the Misreport of Her Being Paintediambic pentameter · AABB · 22 lines Of Her Passing Through a Crowd of Peopleiambic pentameter · AABB · 22 lines The Story of Phoebus and Daphne, Appliediambic pentameter · AABB · 20 lines On the Friendship Betwixt Saccharissa and Amorettrochaic tetrameter · ABAB · 24 lines At Penshurstiambic pentameter · AABB · 51 lines Canto Iiambic pentameter · 81 lines Canto IIiambic pentameter · AABB · 59 lines Canto IIIiambic pentameter · AABB · 92 lines Of the Queeniambic pentameter · AABB · 112 lines Puerperium25 lines A La Maladeiambic tetrameter · AABB · 30 lines Upon the Death of My Lady Richiambic pentameter · AABB · 88 lines Of Loveiambic tetrameter · AABB · 54 lines For Drinking of Healthsiambic pentameter · AABB · 18 lines Of My Lady Isabella, Playing on the Luteiambic pentameter · AABB · 16 lines Of Mrs Ardeniambic tetrameter · AABB · 15 lines Of the Marriage of the Dwarfsiambic tetrameter · AABB · 25 lines Love's Farewelliambic tetrameter · ABAB · 14 lines From a Childiambic pentameter · AABB · 18 lines On a Girdleiambic tetrameter · AABB · 12 lines The Falliambic tetrameter · AABB · 26 lines Of Sylviaiambic tetrameter · 16 lines The Budiambic tetrameter · 18 lines On the Discovery of a Lady's Paintingiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 24 lines Of Loving at First Sightiambic tetrameter · AABBCC · 20 lines The Self-Banishediambic pentameter · AABB · 210 lines On the Head of a Stagiambic tetrameter · AABB · 20 lines The Miser's Speech. In a Masqueiambic pentameter · AABB · 102 lines An Apology for Having Loved Beforeiambic tetrameter · 28 lines The Night-Piece; Or, a Picture Drawn in the Darkiambic tetrameter · AABB · 42 lines On the Picture of a Fair Youth, Taken After He Was Deadiambic pentameter · 16 lines On a Brede of Divers Colours, Woven by Four Ladiesiambic pentameter · AABB · 8 lines Of a War with Spain, and Fight at Seaiambic pentameter · AABB · 112 lines Upon the Death of the Lord Protectoriambic pentameter · AABB · 34 lines On St James's Park, as Lately Improved by His Majestyiambic pentameter · AABB · 170 lines Upon Her Majesty's New Buildings at Somerset Houseiambic tetrameter · AABB · 47 lines Of a Tree Cut in Paperiambic pentameter · AABB · 351 lines Of English Verseiambic tetrameter · AABB · 32 lines These Verses Were Writ in the Tasso of Her Royal Highnessiambic pentameter · 10 lines The Triple Combatiambic pentameter · AABB · 44 lines Upon Our Late Loss of the Duke of Cambridgeiambic pentameter · AABB · 16 lines Of the Lady Mary, Princess of Orangeiambic tetrameter · ABAB · 42 lines Upon Ben Jonsoniambic pentameter · AABB · 32 lines On Mr John Fletcher's Playsiambic pentameter · AABB · 129 lines Of an Elegy Made by Mrs Wharton on the Earl of Rochesteriambic tetrameter · AABB · 20 lines Of Her Majesty, on New-Year's Day, 1683iambic pentameter · AABBCC · 21 lines Of Tea, Commended by Her Majestyiambic pentameter · AABB · 10 lines Of the Invasion and Defeat of the Turks, in the Year 1683iambic pentameter · AABB · 136 lines To the King, on His Navyiambic pentameter · AABB · 65 lines The Country to My Lady Carlisleiambic pentameter · 27 lines To Phyllisiambic tetrameter · AABB · 32 lines To the Queen-Mother of France, upon Her Landingiambic pentameter · AABB · 30 lines To Vandyckiambic tetrameter · AABB · 53 lines To My Lord of Leicesteriambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 33 lines To Mrs Braughton, Servant to Saccharissaiambic pentameter · AABB · 42 lines To My Young Lady Lucy Sidneyiambic tetrameter · 18 lines To Amorettrochaic tetrameter · AABB · 60 lines To My Lord of Falklandiambic pentameter · AABB · 45 lines To My Lord Northumberland, upon the Death of His Ladyiambic pentameter · AABB · 50 lines To My Lord Admiral, of His Late Sickness and Recoveryiambic pentameter · AABB · 60 lines To the Queen, Occasioned upon Sight of Her Majesty's Pictureiambic pentameter · AABB · 68 lines To Amorettrochaic tetrameter · 14 lines To Phyllisiambic pentameter · AABB · 64 lines To My Worthy Friend, Mr Wase, the Translator of Gratiusiambic tetrameter · AABB · 33 lines To a Friend, on the Different Success of Their Lovesiambic pentameter · AABB · 31 lines To Zelindaiambic tetrameter · AABB · 43 lines To My Lady Morton, on New-Year's Day, at the Louvre in Parisiambic pentameter · AABB · 48 lines To a Fair Lady, Playing with a Snakeiambic tetrameter · AABB · 88 lines To a Lady Singing a Song of His Composingiambic tetrameter · ABAB · 14 lines To the Mutable Fairiambic tetrameter · AABB · 68 lines To a Lady, from Whom He Received a Silver Peniambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 24 lines To Chlorisiambic tetrameter · 9 lines To a Lady in Retirementiambic tetrameter · ABABB · 20 lines To Mr George Sandys, on His Translation of Some Parts of the Bibleiambic tetrameter · 21 lines To the King, upon His Majesty's Happy Returniambic pentameter · AABB · 267 lines To Chlorisiambic tetrameter · AABB · 14 lines To the Kingiambic pentameter · AABB · 26 lines To the Duchess, When He Presented This Book to Her Royal Highnessiambic pentameter · 20 lines To Mr Creech, on His Translation of 'Lucretius'iambic pentameter · AABB · 41 lines Stay, Phoebus!12 lines Peace, Babbling Muse!iambic tetrameter · AABB · 12 lines Chloris! Farewelliambic tetrameter · ABAB · 28 lines To Flaviaiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 18 lines Behold the Brand of Beauty Toss'd!iambic tetrameter · 16 lines While I Listen to Thy Voiceiambic tetrameter · 12 lines Go, Lovely Rose!iambic tetrameter · ABABB · 20 lines Sung by Mrs Knight to Her Majesty, on Her Birthdayiambic tetrameter · 20 lines Songiambic tetrameter · ABAB · 28 lines Prologue for the Lady-Actors. Spoken Before King Charles IIiambic pentameter · AABB · 16 lines Prologue to the 'Maid's Tragedy'iambic pentameter · AABB · 40 lines Epilogue to the 'Maid's Tragedy.' Spoken by the Kingiambic pentameter · AABB · 38 lines Under a Lady's Pictureiambic pentameter · AABB · 6 lines Of a Lady Who Writ in Praise of Miraiambic pentameter · AABB · 4 lines To One Married to an Old Maniambic pentameter · AABB · 4 lines An Epigram on a Painted Lady with ILL Teethiambic tetrameter · AABB · 12 lines Epigram upon the Golden Medaliambic tetrameter · AABB · 14 lines Written on a Card That Her Majesty Tore at Ombreiambic pentameter · AABB · 4 lines To Mr Granville (Now Lord Lansdowne), on His Verses to King James IIiambic pentameter · AABB · 6 lines Long and Short LifeAABB · 4 lines Translated Out of SpanishABAB · 4 lines Translated Out of Frenchiambic pentameter · 20 lines On the Statue of King Charles I., at Charing Cross, in the Year 1674iambic pentameter · AABB · 12 lines Prideiambic pentameter · 21 lines Epitaph on Sir George Spekeiambic tetrameter · AABB · 34 lines Epitaph on Colonel Charles Cavendishiambic pentameter · AABB · 36 lines Epitaph on the Lady Sedleyiambic tetrameter · AABB · 55 lines Epitaph Unfinishediambic pentameter · AABB · 8 lines Of Divine Love. A Poem in Six Cantostrochaic heptameter · 10 lines Canto Iiambic pentameter · AABB · 54 lines Canto IIiambic pentameter · AABB · 54 lines Canto IIIiambic pentameter · AABB · 52 lines Canto IViambic pentameter · AABB · 36 lines Canto Viambic pentameter · AABB · 58 lines Canto VIiambic pentameter · 38 lines Canto Iiambic pentameter · AABB · 64 lines Canto IIiambic pentameter · AABB · 54 lines Canto Iiambic pentameter · AABB · 54 lines Canto IIiambic pentameter · AABB · 76 lines On the Paraphrase of the Lord's Prayer. Written by Mrs Whartoniambic pentameter · AABB · 16 lines Some Reflections of His upon the Several Petitions in the Same Prayeriambic pentameter · AABB · 48 lines On the Foregoing Divine Poemsiambic pentameter · AABBCC · 18 lines Cooper's Hilliambic pentameter · AABB · 366 lines The Destruction of Troyiambic pentameter · AABB · 549 lines On the Earl of Strafford's Trial and Deathiambic trimeter · AABB · 133 lines Being Invited from Calais to Boulogne, to Eat a Pigiambic tetrameter · 50 lines Natura Naturataiambic tetrameter · AABB · 24 lines Sarpedon's Speech to Glaucus, in the Twelfth Book of Homeriambic pentameter · AABB · 29 lines Friendship and Single Life, Against Love and Marriageiambic tetrameter · AABB · 102 lines On Mr Abraham Cowley, His Death, and Burial Amongst the Ancient Poetsiambic tetrameter · AABB · 100 lines A Speech Against Peace at the Close Committeeiambic tetrameter · AABCCB · 164 lines A Western Wonderanapaestic common measure · 28 lines A Second Western Wonderanapaestic common measure · 28 lines A Songiambic tetrameter · AABBB · 15 lines On Mr John Fletcher's Worksiambic pentameter · AABB · 40 lines To Sir Richard Fanshaw, upon His Translation of 'Pastor Fido'iambic pentameter · AABB · 44 lines To the Hon. Edward Howard, on 'the British Princes'iambic pentameter · AABB · 32 lines An Occasional Imitation of a Modern Author upon the Game of Chessiambic pentameter · 20 lines The Passion of Dido for Aeneasiambic pentameter · AABB · 258 lines Of Prudenceiambic pentameter · AABB · 262 lines Of Justiceiambic pentameter · AABB · 120 lines Elegy on the Death of Henry Lord Hastings, 1650iambic pentameter · AABB · 58 lines Cato, Scipio, Lælius. Scipio to Catoiambic pentameter · AABB · 114 lines Part Iiambic pentameter · AABB · 166 lines Part IIiambic pentameter · AABB · 156 lines Part IIIiambic pentameter · AABB · 264 lines Part IViambic pentameter · AABB · 266 lines

About this text

Public domain. Text from Poetical Works of Edmund Waller and Sir John Denham, Project Gutenberg ebook #12322. Free to read, print, copy and reuse.

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