Inversnaid analysis
 

I've done some analysis of "Inversnaid". Any thoughts?

Duncan

If I were ever to teach poetry again, I would definitely draw (selectively) from your anatomy of that wonderful poem. Subconsciously, I may be drawn to the sexy premise of wet-an-wild!

Thanks, Ralph! I hadn't considered the sexiness of wet and wildness, but it's certainly one reading. There's sexual frankness in the use of "the groins", and "the beadbonny ash" soon after can be interpreted as a phallic symbol. The liberal splashings of animal imagery (initially) coupled with the rampant anthropomorphism (throughout) certainly foster a mood of intimacy.

Perhaps someone might comment on the scansion of S1 L3:

Of a POOL / so PITCH / black, FÉLL- / FRÓWNing,

I've given the last foot as a trochee, but I've never seen that before in an iambic line. Perhaps it should be analyzed instead as a headless amphibrach, though I've never seen that before either.

I've also had difficulty in resolving these two lines:

TURNS and / TWINdles / Over / the BROTH

WIry / HEATHpacks, / FLITCHes / of FERN,

I've chosen to call the first three feet trochees, but the first foot might as well be a headless iamb followed by two iambs and an anapaest.

Duncan