Analysis of WHEN I LISTEN
Ken Bartlett 1934 (Leominsterr Mass)
So many things are seldom seen or heard,
from coyote stalking to songs from a bird.
Too self-absorbed with delusions of life,
suffering reigns from self-imposed strife.
Living condenses into a bumbling sensation.
Eyes groping downward miss so much of Creation.
I feel that need, to see savor and relent.
I know no best time and so redact the dire extent
of past misgivings and listen!
All things become refreshed and glisten.
The new, and the old are separate, together.
The mind will race, relinquish its tether.
Feet march in place, and stars twinkle and linger.
For this is where my heart:
…..can taste your anger,
….......absorb your pain,
….......…..inhale your love,
….......….......when I listen.
Scheme | AA BB CC DD CC EE EX EXXC |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1101110111 10101011101 1101101011 100111011 101010100010 110101111010 11111110001 1111101010101 11010010 110101010 01001110010 0111010110 11010110010 111111 11110 0111 0111 1110 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 757 |
Words | 144 |
Sentences | 18 |
Stanzas | 8 |
Stanza Lengths | 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 4 |
Lines Amount | 18 |
Letters per line (avg) | 29 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 66 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 14 |
About this poem
The motivation for this writing came from a recent conversation with a family member.
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"WHEN I LISTEN" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 31 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/158926/when-i-listen>.
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