Analysis of Proper Ballerina
Elizabeth Higgins 2009 (NY)
Prim Proper ballerina in the mirror
Posture nailed to a T
It’s only a costume
On the inside it’s still me.
Bun pulled tight
Shoes wrapped neat
Blush piled in layers
But on the inside I’m beat
Smile for the camera
Music locked and loaded
Ballerina, no a broken one maybe
I am broken not goated.
Lights shine bright
Beautiful still masked on,
Prim and proper not my choice
In the game of chess I am just a pawn.
Love me for me you say
Is that really true?
Do you love the real me
Or just how well I do?
You can throw me in the dirt
Accuse me of faking
But I didn’t think you’d want to see
My body in its aching.
The pain and sorrow I feel
Was never my first choice
But then again
When did I ever have a choice.
You threw me into this
The spotlight was never really mine
It was the ballerinas
And to you that’s just fine.
Do you hate me now
For telling you all this
You can hit me now.
But every time you’ll still miss.
In your eyes I am just one
The real me isn’t enough
To you I’m just a little girl
Who will never be tough.
Who said you needed to love me?
With my pretty make up and dew,
Will you love me anymore.
Or will that somehow offend you to.
I am tired of being your doll
Bending at your command
It’s time that I take matters
Into my own strong hand.
I am walking away head held high
Ballerina posture done my own way
Find someone else to pick on
This is me. Now what’ve got to say?
Scheme | XAXA BCDC XXAA BEFX GHAH XIAI XFXF JKXK LJLJ XMXM AHXH XNDN XGEG |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (92%) |
Metre | 1100100010 101101 110001 1001111 111 111 11010 1100111 110100 101010 0101010110 111011 111 100111 1010111 0011111101 111111 11101 111011 111111 1111001 011110 11111111 1100110 0101011 110111 1101 11110101 111011 01110101 110010 011111 11111 110111 11111 11001111 0111111 011101 11110101 111011 11110111 11101101 111101 11110111 111011011 101101 1111110 011111 111001111 010101111 111111 11111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 1,440 |
Words | 325 |
Sentences | 17 |
Stanzas | 13 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 52 |
Letters per line (avg) | 21 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 83 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 22 |
About this poem
This poem is the part of everyone that they don't want to share. The part that says stuff that we tend to believe. Stop believing it. Stop giving in. You are all beautiful.
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"Proper Ballerina" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 22 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/161242/proper-ballerina>.
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