Analysis of Before They Got Up



As I watch their trash sag,
Single dad and his kid,
A cat was in their bag.
On his ground is the lid.

My next door neighbor's kid
Is a decent boy, but
He didn't check the lid
To make sure it was shut.

The boy catches the bus.
Dad holds his coffee cup
And I can hear him fuss,
While he picks his trash up.

It's all over the ground.
What warning could I give,
I didn't make a sound,
'cause that cat has to live.


Scheme ABAB BCBC DEDE FXFX
Poetic Form Quatrain  (75%)
Metre 111111 101011 011011 111101 111101 101011 110101 111111 011001 111101 011111 111111 111001 110111 110101 111111
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 412
Words 101
Sentences 7
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 16
Letters per line (avg) 19
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 76
Words per stanza (avg) 22

About this poem

Single dad with his son

Font size:
 

Written on March 16, 2024

Submitted by robertm.06281 on March 16, 2024

31 sec read
15

Robert Joseph Mattingly

A Poet for forty years since 1983, a Substitute Teacher, B.S.Ed.. I built a building of poems beyond imagination, 64 inches tall. more…

All Robert Joseph Mattingly poems | Robert Joseph Mattingly Books

2 fans

Discuss this Robert Joseph Mattingly poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Before They Got Up" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 7 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/183149/before-they-got-up>.

    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.
    23
    days
    6
    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?

    »
    What American novelist took the title of his novel from a Robert Burns poem?
    A Thomas Wolfe
    B Thornton Wilder
    C John Dos Passos
    D John Steinbeck