Analysis of To the Mosquito



To the Mosquito

How soft upon me you alight
   To draw up nectar (scarlet meal)—
To siphon fluid from my frame
   From whatsoever vein you will ...

Well who am I to hold a grudge?
   Or who to shun your natural bent?
For I know nature made you such
   And that you have not ill intent.

But she has fashioned me as well
   With instinct and with quick reply—
A pass, I warn, to even kill
   What creatures might upon me vie.

So with that said, let this be clear:
   I harbor no antipathy ...
But should you seek out blood from here,
   Think not my wrath iniquity.


Scheme X XXXA XBXB XCAC XDXD
Poetic Form
Metre 10010 11011101 11110101 11010111 1010111 11111101 111111001 11110111 11111101 11110111 11001101 01111101 11010111 11111111 11010100 11111111 11110100
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 644
Words 127
Sentences 7
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 1, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 17
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 95
Words per stanza (avg) 23

About this poem

Given the pernicious and often fatal consequences of West Nile virus—not to mention the rude and uninvited intrusion imposed upon my person—I thought I'd write this polite warning to our friendly little micropredator.

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Submitted by Vixility on April 26, 2024

38 sec read
87

John W. May

John W. May has lived in Colorado all his life. He currently works in the field of ophthalmology and loves to mountain bike and read about history. John first became a lover of poetry in 2008 after having read a poem by John Milton. He has been reading and studying the works of various poets since. His favorite poets are Emily Dickinson, Fyodor Tyutchev and W. B. Yeats. more…

All John W. May poems | John W. May Books

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