Analysis of Getting Old
When I am old and grey,
Messed up and brittle.
Falling down stairs or in the way,
And made to feel little.
I shall remind everybody
That I was once young;
And strong, bawdy and naughty,
With a flapping tongue -
When I am too far-gone,
Forgetful and noxious;
Therefore a hassle to depend on,
Such a pickle dubious -
I will stare at the picture,
Unable to remember;
Why strange faces have no feature,
Nor useful splendour -
When the darkness falls,
And the lights faded;
Silent vanity will circle the walls,
My desolation sated.
Thus emerging a burden,
An encumber to irritate;
Making my freedom uncertain,
It is something I'd hate.
When my world is spent,
Foregone and passing;
I will lie there in a woeful relent,
Pitiable in my gasping -
And how my life may go,
If at all I would expire.
But my mortality will be so,
And cordially I'll retire.
Scheme | ABAB CDCD XEXE FFFA GXGX HIHI JKJK LMLM |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (88%) |
Metre | 111101 11010 10111001 011110 1101100 11111 0110010 10101 111111 010010 10101011 1010100 1111010 0101010 11101110 1101 10101 00110 1010011001 101010 1010010 1010110 10110010 111011 11111 11010 1111001001 10000110 011111 1111101 110100111 0100101 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 813 |
Words | 156 |
Sentences | 6 |
Stanzas | 8 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 32 |
Letters per line (avg) | 20 |
Words per line (avg) | 5 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 82 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 20 |
Font size:
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Getting Old" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/62824/getting-old>.
Discuss this Charles Bernabi 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