Analysis of What’s in a Name



What's in a Name?

Of character,
There is a sustained acceptance,
A defiance
And a patience,
That understands the umbilical chord
Between the beginning and the end.

Time sculptures each face
with chisel and spike,
Mixes it's charismatic dye
In the eyes of man;
Spits blood
And forms teardrops of mud,
Then hands it to us as manna,
And labels it "love".

Who am I?
Who are you?
Where are we, really?
And if this be all our experience
Has sustained,
Let us have our moment,
And make ourselves
Something special,
Something worthy of our name.


Scheme A XBBBXX XXCXDDXX CXXBXXXXA
Poetic Form
Metre 1001 1100 11001010 0010 0010 101001001 010010001 11011 11001 10100101 00111 11 01111 11111110 01011 111 111 11110 01111100100 101 1111010 01001 1010 10101101
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 542
Words 117
Sentences 7
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 1, 6, 8, 9
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 18
Words per line (avg) 4
Letters per stanza (avg) 105
Words per stanza (avg) 24

About this poem

This poem was inspired by a portrait of my friend’s father (a Holocaust survivor). Her father’s physiognomy so impressed me - his compassion yet stoic strength and gentlemanly attitude - that I gifted her this poem in a hand written form. It now hangs on her wall under the portrait.

Font size:
 

Written on April 30, 2023

Submitted by dm.mcnamara on March 27, 2024

Modified by dm.mcnamara on March 27, 2024

35 sec read
4

Dennis Michael McNamara

I am a poet/Building surveyor/Project Manager working within the NHS. I am 59, married and have 4 children - 3 of which are in their early/mid twenties. more…

All Dennis Michael McNamara poems | Dennis Michael McNamara Books

1 fan

Discuss this Dennis Michael McNamara poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "What’s in a Name" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/183816/what%E2%80%99s-in-a-name>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    More poems by

    Dennis Michael McNamara

    »

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    12
    days
    11
    hours
    53
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    "It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea."
    A Shel Silverstein
    B Edmund Spenser
    C W.B. Yeats
    D Edgar Allan Poe