Analysis of I Might-and I Might Not
Gamaliel Bradford 1863 (Boston, Massachusetts) – 1932
I might forget ambition and the hunger for success.
I might forget the passion to escape from nothingness.
I might forget the curious dreams of ecstasy that haunt
My fancy day and night. I might forget them. But I can't.
If I could let the pen alone and leave the inkstand dry,
And forego perpetual effort to be climbing, climbing high,
And lay aside my mad designs to startle and enchant,
I might enjoy the sweet of common living. But I can't.
I might be just a Philistine, and eat, and drink, and sleep,
And drive a dusty motor and pile money in a heap,
And let the stream of life run through my brain and be forgot.
If I did, I might be happier. I might—and I might not.
Scheme | XXXA BBAA CCDD |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (67%) |
Metre | 11010100010101 11010101011100 110101001110011 11010111011111 1111010101011 0010100101110101 01011101110001 11010111010111 1111010010101 01010100110001 01011111110101 111111100110111 |
Closest metre | Iambic heptameter |
Characters | 672 |
Words | 132 |
Sentences | 11 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 12 |
Letters per line (avg) | 43 |
Words per line (avg) | 11 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 174 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 43 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 40 sec read
- 29 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"I Might-and I Might Not" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/14540/i-might-and-i-might-not>.
Discuss this Gamaliel Bradford poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In