Analysis of Reflection on Mother
Andrea Ferrett 1938 (Minnesota)
As I walked through the door of the grocery store,
She was standing right there in the glass.
She seemed so surprised to be still recognized,
For many long years had passed.
As shoppers rushed by, my mother and I
Shared a moment both bitter and sweet.
I could just barely hear, "You look tired, dear.
Are you sure that you get enough sleep?
"Dear, lift up your chin. Pull your abdomen in.
Take this bit of advice from your mother!"
As I walked away, I could still hear her say,
"Just place one foot in front of the other."
To tell you the truth, back in my youth,
I considered her counsel old-fashioned.
Though doubtless outdated, I wistfully waited
To grow up and pursue my own passions.
I found freedom and fun when I turned twenty-one,
But it seemed all my schemes ran awry.
Despite all I had done, Mom's wisdom had won,
And I had to eat humble pie.
Those years are behind me, yet mirrors remind me
Of lessons I learned as a girl.
Her words followed me, and her guidance allowed me To wend my way in the world.
She's always so near, right there in the mirror.
We looked a lot like each other.
To my utter dismay, I discovered that day
I'd completely morphed into my mother!
Scheme | XXXX AXXX XBCB XXXX DADA XXX BBCB |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111101101001 111011001 1110111110 1101111 1101111001 101011001 11110111101 111111011 11111110100 1111011110 11101111101 1111011010 111011011 1010010110 11010110010 1110011110 111001111101 111111101 01111111011 01111101 111011110011 11011101 0110100100111111001 1111110010 11011110 111001101011 1010101110 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,184 |
Words | 251 |
Sentences | 18 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 4 |
Lines Amount | 27 |
Letters per line (avg) | 34 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 130 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 32 |
About this poem
I wrote this poem after catching a glimpse of myself as I walked past a store window and, for a split second, mistook my own image for my mother.
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"Reflection on Mother" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/170766/reflection-on-mother>.
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