Analysis of What Could Have Been



She stands at the edge, wondering the reason

her dress illuminates the tears dripping like a spring' season

suddenly her mind clears, in the same breath her thoughts falter

freedom is one step away, she welcomes death as God's daughter

She places her hand on her well-cried on
cheek
then looks up, then looks down, then she closes her eyes meekly

the wind is sharp and faintly she notices the grass under the soles of her feet

she puts her hands at her sides, wiggles her toes, and swallows a sob discreetly

this could have been avoided, it could have been averted

now all she can hear are trees rustling behind her, disconcerted

they wave to and fro, nearly as violently as her unnaturally dark thoughts

she takes a leap, and takes one look back
and see's the deathly picture-perfect shot:

there is her love, he's screaming, too late

her last thought as she plunges down. Down to her fate

what could have been, had the man said yes.

To a marriage proposal, she made in that very dress


Scheme A A B B XXC D C X D X XX E E F F
Poetic Form
Metre 11101100010 01010011010110 10001100110110 101110111011110 1100110111 1 11111111100110 01110101100011001101 110110110101001010 11110101111010 1111111100101 111011011000100100011 110101111 0101010011 110111011 011111011101 111110111 10100101101101
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 968
Words 179
Sentences 3
Stanzas 15
Stanza Lengths 1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1
Lines Amount 18
Letters per line (avg) 44
Words per line (avg) 10
Letters per stanza (avg) 52
Words per stanza (avg) 12
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Submitted on May 01, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

54 sec read
13

Steve

I'm 18 years old. Go to a JC, and just enjoy writing poetry. Most are about love and most are sent to my girlfriend. She has been a swimmer her whole life, which is why there are numerous references to the sea and mermaids. hope you enjoy and please give me some feedback. I'd really appreciate it. more…

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    "Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe."
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