Analysis of The Empty Seat

Earl Burgess III 1974 (marion, sc)



In our classroom bright and warm,
Where laughter danced through every storm,
There stood a seat, now cold and bare,
A friend no longer sitting there.

The empty seat, a haunting sight,
A space once filled with joy so bright,
Now echoes silent, void and still,
A place where giggles used to spill.

We played and learned side by side,
In games of tag, our spirits tied,
But now, a hush has settled in,
The absence stings beneath the skin.

Questions whirl within my mind,
Why did you leave us all behind?
Your smile, your jokes, your cheerful cheer,
Now just a memory held so dear.

I miss the way your eyes would gleam,
How you'd chase after every dream,
The empty seat, a solemn vow,
A reminder of your absence now.

Though you're not here, your spirit stays,
In every corner, in countless ways,
In stories shared and games we play,
In our hearts, you're here to stay.

Farewell, dear friend, though far you roam,
Your laughter echoes, guides us home,
The empty seat, a bittersweet,
A tribute to the joy you'd greet.

We'll cherish moments that we shared,
Your light within us, ever cared,
For in this classroom, we find peace,
Your presence in the memories cease.


Scheme AABB CCDD EEFF GGHH IIJJ KKLL MMNN OOPP
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 0101101 110111001 11011101 01110101 01010101 01111111 11010101 01110111 1101111 011110101 11011100 01010101 1010111 11111101 11111101 110100111 11011111 111101001 01010101 001011101 11111101 0100100101 01010111 01011111 1111111 11010111 0101010 01010111 11010111 11011101 1011111 110001001
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,165
Words 247
Sentences 9
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 32
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 112
Words per stanza (avg) 26

About this poem

a poem from the perspective of a 3rd grade little boy about “the Empty Seat” inspired by the sudden death of a classmate of the little boy

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Submitted by coachearlburgess on December 07, 2023

1:15 min read
55

Earl Burgess III

Erl D. Burgess II is a songwriter/poet from the upstate of South Carolina more…

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