THE ANALYSIS OF JOSEF WITTMANNS SLEEPING BEAUTY

SLEEPING BEAUTY
Josef Wittmann

My dreaming must wait till Sunday

Keep sleeping: Im not a prince, I have no sword nor have I time to cut the hedge to climb the wall to give a kiss or marry you Tomorrow I must start work early (or Ill be fired)

My thinking till vacation time

Keep sleeping and dream another hundred years until the right one appears
Translated by Jack Zipes.

Type of the poem Sleeping Beauty by Josef Wittmann is a lyric poem. Lyric poem is usually fairly short, written in simple language, and has an easy-moving and well-defined rhythm (Murphy: 1972). The poem has short sentences. The poet uses simple language.

Characteristics of the Poem The poem Sleeping Beauty has 6 stanzas. However, each stanza has different number of lines.

The first stanza only has 1 line. The second stanza has 7 lines. The third stanza has 3 lines. The fourth and fifth stanzas have 2 lines (2 couplets). The sixth stanza has 4 lines.

Rime Schemes The poem has irregular rime schemes.

Keep sleeping:
Im not a prince, I have no sword nor have I time to cut the hedge to climb the wall to give a kiss or marry you

a
b c d e f b g b x x x x b x

My dreaming must wait k f till Sunday l g

My thinking till vacation m h time n i Keep sleeping
and dream another hundred years

until the right one appears

o p q p

x j x j

Tomorrow I must start work early (or Ill be fired)

h c i d j e

Rhythmic Pattern Most of the lines use the combination of weak-strong rhythm (iambic).
O O o Keep sleeping: o O o O Im not a prince, o O o O I have no sword o O o O nor have I time o O o O to cut the hedge o O o O to climb the wall o O o O to give a kiss o O o O or marry you o O o Tomorrow o O o O o O I must start work early o O o Oo (or Ill be fired) o O o o O My dreaming must wait o O o till Sunday o O o o oO o My thinking till vacation o time O O o Keep sleeping o O o O o O o O and dream another hundred years o O o O o until the right one o O appears

Devices of Language
Devices of Comparison Simile: none Metaphors: comparing man with prince someone perfect comparing woman with sleeping beauty someone who likes dreaming Personification: My dreaming must wait waiting is humans activity

Devices of Sound
Alliteration My dreaming must wait (stanza 4, line 1)

Assonance Keep sleeping (stanza 1, line 1) I have no sword (stanza 2, line 2) nor have I time (stanza 2, line 3) to give a kiss (stanza 2, line 6) Tomorrow (stanza 3, line 1) I must start work early (stanza 3, line 2) (or Ill be fired) (stanza 3, line 3) My dreaming must wait (stanza 4, line 1) My thinking till vacation (stanza 5, line 1) Keep sleeping (stanza 6, line 1) and dream another hundred years (stanza 6, line 2) until the right one (stanza 6, line 3)

Devices of Grammar
Question: none

Address: The poem is addressed to women who like dreaming of charming princes. It is for women who always expect for perfect men marry them, and hope for a perfect happy life.

Repetition: Keep sleeping (stanza 1) is repeated in stanza 6, line 2.

Inversion: none

Ellipsis My dreaming must wait till Sunday (stanza 4)

My thinking till vacation time (stanza 5) It should be: My thinking must wait till vacation time

Symbolism prince (stanza 2, line 1) symbolizes a charming and handsome man. sword (stanza 2, line 2) symbolizes power or courage of a man. hedge (stanza 2, line 4) and wall (stanza 2, line 5) symbolize the obstacles or barriers. sleeping beauty (the title) itself symbolizes a woman who always dreams for a perfect man.

About the Poem

Sleeping Beauty is a poem about the fairy tale of sleeping beauty. Josef Wittmann is the poet. Even he wrote the poem in the mans perspective, but actually he highlighted the woman who had too high expectation to a man. The poet tries to criticize women who always want a happy ending life by expecting a prince, and it takes a long time of dreaming.

The poem is so painful and miserable, but also romantic. The poet wants to tell about the pathetic waiting of love. There are many versions of the story of Sleeping Beauty written since 17th century. The poet was influenced by the ancient fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty. Walt Disney also made an animated movie of Sleeping Beauty.

It is easy to understand the poem. Maybe it is because the poem has been translated into simple English diction.

Summing up
The poem Sleeping Beauty tells about the man who is just an ordinary man, not a prince, complaining about the woman having too high expectation by dreaming a perfect man. She waits for a prince to marry her. The dream will never come true as the womans expectation seems unrealistic. Even she sleeps for another hundred years, the prince will never appear.