Analysis of It is a dance, not a war.
I have crushed men before.
Crushed as I have been crushed,
Taken as I have lost.
For such is the nature of being a man.
I have chosen steps forwards,
Knowing how far back I send the man whose place I take.
And, like you, I have lost to better men.
I am not at peace with either, yet I tread on as I must.
If it comes to pass that you find yourself under my boot,
Know that I am not sorry -
But I see you;
there, as I have been before.
Do not waiver.
Your time will come too.
For it is a dance, not a war.
| Scheme | AXXX XXXX XXBAXBA |
|---|---|
| Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) |
| Metre | 111101 111111 101111 11101011001 1110110 1011111011111 0111111101 111111101111111 11111111011011 1111110 1111 1111101 1110 11111 11101101 |
| Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
| Characters | 506 |
| Words | 125 |
| Sentences | 10 |
| Stanzas | 3 |
| Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 7 |
| Lines Amount | 15 |
| Letters per line (avg) | 25 |
| Words per line (avg) | 7 |
| Letters per stanza (avg) | 125 |
| Words per stanza (avg) | 37 |
About this poem
This poem describes the competitive nature of life, especially as a young man. How it can feel like whenever you win or succeed, somebody else has to lose and vice versa. It touches on the guilt we may feel when we try to succeed and thrive, but also attempts to console you and let you know that it’s okay to try - because now it’s your turn to win. “It is a dance, not a war.” implies that we are aware that our success may mean another man’s failure, but we can’t let that dishearten us. Nor shall we be disheartened when another man wins. We’ll simply continue to dance, free from guilt and remorse, because we can’t all drown. more »
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"It is a dance, not a war." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 11 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/177902/it-is-a-dance%2C-not-a-war.>.
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