Analysis of Scratches and Stones
We walk hand in hand. The sand
is full of stones. The slide
has no shine, no arc, no glide.
The trees have scratches, black and gray.
My girl wants to play, so we stay.
She is quick to find a stick. Then
down on the ground. She scratches
the shape of her name, forgets the rust,
she is glad we came.
I am alone beside her, want to guide her.
Perhaps by a shake of my head. But instead
Find a stick of my own and a stone to take home.
Who is this parent? It's apparent
That I missed the moment when I
Could have shown her the strength of the sky
While her shirt dragged in the dirt.
She is done. I let her run
away from me.
Watching incessantly, I let her be.
This is not about me.
Scheme | XAABB XXXX XXX XCCX XDDD |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Etheree (25%) Tetractys (20%) |
Metre | 1110101 111101 1111111 01110101 11111111 11111011 1101110 011010101 11111 11010101110 01101111101 101111001111 111101010 11101011 111001101 1011001 1111101 0111 1001001101 111011 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 695 |
Words | 162 |
Sentences | 18 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 4, 3, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 20 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 103 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 28 |
About this poem
Parenting.
Font size:
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Scratches and Stones" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/144387/scratches-and-stones>.
Discuss this Teri poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In