Analysis of The Teacher
She arose before the sun peeked above
The lake. She rustled her son off to school.
Sitting in her frigid car, she placed gloved
Hands on the wheel. Had she been a damn fool
To continue teaching? She could think of
A million reasons to quit. Dedication cooled
After each contract dispute. Getting paid
Fairly was all she ever asked. What weighed
On her mind were the unpaid bills that piled
Up on her kitchen table. Tax payers
Think teachers have it easy. Parents reviled
Teachers for being elite purveyors
Of woke ideas that would ruin their child.
She bristled at such an unfair portrayal.
Yet she soldiered on because the broad smiles
On children’s faces made it all worthwhile.
She entered her classroom, bright with pictures
Made for the Christmas season. Great joy swept
Through her body. Students were an elixir
That cured her weary soul. Their faces kept
Her from abandoning them. She was richer
In spirit if not in coin. She could affect
Young lives with her pure passion for learning.
She realized what she did was life affirming.
Scheme | ABXBAXCC DEDEDXXX EFGFGXHH |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1010101101 011101111 1000101111 1101111011 1010101111 01010110101 101101101 1011110111 1010001111 1101010110 11011101001 1011001010 11010111011 11011101010 111101011 1101011111 110011110 1101010111 10101001010 1101011101 01010011110 01011011101 1110110110 11011111010 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,061 |
Words | 193 |
Sentences | 20 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 24 |
Letters per line (avg) | 35 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 279 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 64 |
About this poem
A celebration of teachers, especially those toiling heroically in public schools, which are key to sustaining our democracy.
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"The Teacher" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 11 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/133006/the-teacher>.
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