Analysis of The Poet's Mother
I recall one Easter long ago when you
Watched us play by the ‘Back Burn’,
A country woman of strong frame
And open face, ‘Big Mary’ they called
You but I knew you as ‘Mammy‘.
You were of the soil for you snedded
Turnips and gathered spuds on many
A Derry hill, and the fertility of those
Fields symbolised your own-
Mothering one girl and four boys.
Nothing was ever a bother to you
With neighbours calling at all hours
For a chat, a loan, or a hot scone…
Often I recall the occasion when Joe
‘The tramp’ arrived- that bright frosty
Morning when he entertained with a
Jews harp and your spoons…
Treating him as if he was your lost kin.
Perhaps your action was a salve
For the ache within your heart…
However, since your departure
On your birthday I believe that you
Are with the ‘ould man’ and perhaps
You have met Johnny- that is my prayer.
As you know, Ma , the spring is my
Favourite season, and yearly I observe
The primroses which you gave me,
But they will never replace the flowers
Growing deep within- in a soil which is
Partly your soil- an eternal memorial to
A beloved mother and a loving friend.
Scheme | AXBCB CDXEX AFEXDXX XXXXAXX XXDFXAX |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1111010111 1111011 01010111 010111011 1111111 10101111 100101110 010100010011 1111 10011011 1011001011 11101110 101011011 1011001011 01011110 10110110 11011 1011111111 01110101 1010111 1011010 11110111 11011001 111101111 11110111 110010101 0101111 111101010 1010100111 1011101001001 0011000101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,112 |
Words | 209 |
Sentences | 5 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 5, 7, 7, 7 |
Lines Amount | 31 |
Letters per line (avg) | 28 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 173 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 42 |
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Submitted on February 18, 2016
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:02 min read
- 71 Views
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