Analysis of Captive Twelve Year Old
Douglas Blair 1951 (London)
Her eyes say she must not emote
Dining with parents, stiff, proper.
Probably twelve and posh school.
But she catches my eye
Trying not to show
Desperation
In a controlled day
A controlled meal.
A controlled life.
I hear the name Eleanor
Please eat up.
‘The concert is in forty-five.’
Hair auburn and piled at the back.
Single pearl pendant.
Maroon dress cut far too long.
I see those legs in muddied shorts
Other times.
Down by the Creek alone.
Setter dog General
Playing in the reeds.
A pause as mallards
Wing whistle overhead.
Rumbling thunder interrupting.
Parents will be upset.
Whether to stay, and delight in a soaking.
(Or to lower head and run home?)
Nah, that would take another Life.
Another chance.
She winks at me.
And I, likewise.
Scheme | ABCDEFAGHIJKLAMNOPQRSATATUHVWX |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (43%) Etheree (40%) |
Metre | 0111111 10110110 1001011 111011 10111 010 00011 0011 0011 1101100 111 01010101 11001101 10110 0111111 11110101 101 110101 101100 10001 01110 110101 10010010 101101 10110010010 11101011 11110101 0101 1111 011 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 747 |
Words | 151 |
Sentences | 21 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 30 |
Lines Amount | 30 |
Letters per line (avg) | 19 |
Words per line (avg) | 4 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 582 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 131 |
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Written on January 20, 2023
Submitted by dougb.72572 on January 20, 2023
Modified by dougb.72572 on January 20, 2023
- 45 sec read
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"Captive Twelve Year Old" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/149027/captive-twelve-year-old>.
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