Analysis of Birth



I knew, before my birth to be,
   The planet that I chose,
But angels who were prepping me
   Induced a gentle doze:
They brought Amnesia's velvet soup
   And I, with willing heart,
Drank down the broth before the group
   And from them did depart.
Suspended in a neutral state,
   My memories were cleared.
In timelessness I seemed to wait ...
   And then a light appeared.

I 'woke' within a liquid hue
   Of orange warmed with light
As someone moved me gently through
   A chamber much more bright.
What could it mean? I cannot say.
   But I was well aware
That whoso brought me through that day
   Did so with perfect care.
As amniotic fluids flowed
   There imminent was birth ...
That planet, yes, my new abode,
   Was fast approaching—Earth!

I took in gently earthly air
   (the breathing came with ease),
And when my mother drew me near
   I felt her tender squeeze.
A drumming filled her weary chest,
   As slowly I awoke—
Those mortal tappings in her brest
   Did thoughts of life evoke.
Between each beat a soothing pause
   Spoke softly to my ear;
And though I knew not where I was,
   I knew that home was here.


Scheme ABABCDCDEFEF GHGHIJIJKLKL JMXMNONOXPXP
Poetic Form
Metre 11011111 010111 11010101 010101 111101 011101 11010101 011101 01000101 110001 011111 010101 11010101 110111 1111101 010111 11111101 111101 1111111 111011 11000101 110011 11011101 110101 11010101 010111 01110111 110101 01010101 110101 1101001 111101 01110101 110111 01111111 111111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,324
Words 264
Sentences 16
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 12, 12, 12
Lines Amount 36
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 326
Words per stanza (avg) 72

About this poem

I’ve always found the various concepts of pre-existence fascinating and philosophically fun to contemplate. Where do souls come from? Are they aware of their pre-existent surroundings? And if so, why do they not remember it after birth? From the Judaic concept of the Guf to the crossing of the Chinese Naihe Bridge, beliefs like these have always intrigued me. The poem above is my brief poetic attempt on the matter: a fun write.

Font size:
 

Submitted by Vixility on August 19, 2023

1:19 min read
71

John W. May

John W. May has lived in Colorado all his life. He currently works in the field of ophthalmology and loves to mountain bike and read about history. John first became a lover of poetry in 2008 after having read a poem by John Milton. He has been reading and studying the works of various poets since. His favorite poets are Emily Dickinson, Fyodor Tyutchev and W. B. Yeats. more…

All John W. May poems | John W. May Books

39 fans

Discuss this John W. May poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Birth" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/167993/birth>.

    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!

    June 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    26
    days
    15
    hours
    50
    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?

    »
    Who wrote the poem "School Boy" as a part of the poetry collection entitled "Songs of Experience"?
    A William Wordworth
    B William Blake
    C Walt Whitman
    D Robert Frost