Analysis of Preparation

Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872 (Dayton) – 1906



THE little bird sits in the nest and sings
A shy, soft song to the morning light;
And it flutters a little and prunes its wings.
The song is halting and poor and brief,
And the fluttering wings scarce stir a leaf;
But the note is a prelude to sweeter things,
And the busy bill and the flutter slight
Are proving the wings for a bolder flight!


Scheme ABACCABB
Poetic Form
Metre 0101100101 011110101 01100100111 011100101 0010011101 1011011101 0010100101 1100110101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 343
Words 69
Sentences 3
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 8
Lines Amount 8
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 269
Words per stanza (avg) 67
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

20 sec read
64

Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar was a seminal American poet of the late 19th and early 20th centuries Dunbar gained national recognition for his 1896 Lyrics of a Lowly Life one poem in the collection being Ode to Ethiopia more…

All Paul Laurence Dunbar poems | Paul Laurence Dunbar Books

7 fans

Discuss this Paul Laurence Dunbar poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Preparation" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 30 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/28836/preparation>.

    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!

    More poems by

    Paul Laurence Dunbar

    »

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    0
    days
    16
    hours
    6
    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?

    »
    "Lady, make a note of this: One of you is lying."
    A May Sarton
    B Dorothy Parker
    C Ogden Nash
    D Bill Collins