Analysis of Where is My Mother?
Roger McGough 1937 (Litherland)
Where is my mother in all these poems?
Good question. My father, who wouldn't
thank me for it, is outside the school railings.
And there in the backyard failing to teach me
how to box. But don't point, you'll embarrass him.
Aunts abound, gabby and gossipy, with stories
of the Blitz, mad neighbours, loss and religion.
Unsure of themselves, uniformed uncles drift in and out.
Like their fathers, buttoned-up and elusive. Grandads,
what accents did you speak with? Could you dance?
My grandmothers remain seated, amazed at their own
wit and wisdom, of tongues posthumously gifted.
Eyes closed, I count slowly to a hundred and listen
to my grandchildren hiding and giggling. In no hurry
to be caught. And my own children? What of them?
All there, four-square, out of harm's way
and long since outgrown my concerned musings.
And the one missing, my mother, where is she?
Memory fading, at the margin still, just out of sight,
The one I aim to please with every poem I write.
Scheme | AXBCX XDXAX XXDCX XBCEE |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) |
Metre | 1111001110 110110110 11111110110 0100110111 11111110101 101100100110 1011110010 0110110101001 111010100101 1101111111 110011001111 101011100010 1111101010010 11101001000110 11101110111 11111111 011110110 00110110111 10010101011111 01111111001011 |
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 952 |
Words | 169 |
Sentences | 18 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 5, 5, 5 |
Lines Amount | 20 |
Letters per line (avg) | 38 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 190 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 42 |
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