Analysis of Ungrateful Species
Brady Bowen 1973 (Louisiana)
f I were a fish
explorer of darkened cobalt vaults
a ghostly gliding hiss my song
my thoughts would be liquidity
like cyan electricity
and swim, I would
If I were a bird
a zephyr-riding acrobatic singer
but one in nature’s symphony
my heart’s exclamation would be free
like the rising eyes of the released
and fly, I would
If I were a deer
a dun-coated bolt of lightning
the gentle tree-templed priest of speed
the chase would be my benediction
blessed would my journey be
and run, I would
If I were a serpent
onyx oiled coils unwinding
the hiss of a hundred syllables mine
and never have a gentle dream
reveries of red
and coil, I would
If I were a bull
ever angry at the younger kings
a rumbling, raging crownêd storm
crowned with the spears of MINE
the siring sentry
and rush, I would
If I were a wolf
a carrier of the canticle
mourning the moon’s distance eternally
my thoughts always of the pack
a collective savagery
and range, I would
Alas, to be born a man
made to sublimate one special spell
cruel barbaric baseball
harming for pleasure, taking for counting
and we accept the honor of
being the only ones
and rest, fucking rest.
I would. I will.
I do.
I.
Scheme | XXXAAB XXAAXB XCXXAB XCDXXB EXXDAB XEAXAB XXXCXXXXXX |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11001 01011011 01010111 11110100 1010100 0111 11001 0101001010 11010100 11010111 101011001 0111 11001 01101110 01011111 01111010 111101 0111 110010 1011010 0110101001 01010101 10011 0111 11001 101010101 010010111 110111 0110 0111 11001 0100101 1001100100 111101 0010100 0111 0111101 1111101 1001011 1011010110 01010101 100101 01101 1111 11 1 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 1,207 |
Words | 254 |
Sentences | 6 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 10 |
Lines Amount | 46 |
Letters per line (avg) | 20 |
Words per line (avg) | 5 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 132 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 31 |
About this poem
Squandered grace.
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Written on August 08, 2022
Submitted by BradyB999 on August 16, 2022
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:16 min read
- 9 Views
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"Ungrateful Species" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 5 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/134396/ungrateful-species>.
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