Analysis of It's a Jungle Out There

Roger McGough 1937 (Litherland)



On leaving the house you'd best say a prayer
Take my advice and don't travel by train
As Tarzan said to Jane, 'It's a jungle out there.'

I'm not a man who will easily scare
But I'd rather lick maggots than get on a plane.
On leaving the house you'd best say a prayer.

Skateboards are lethal on top of a stair
A broken back means you'll not walk again
As Tarzan said to Jane, 'It's a jungle out there.'

When the sky turns purple better beware
Bacillus on the breeze and acid in the rain
On leaving the house you'd best say a prayer

Avoid beef like the plague or your plague will be rare
Alcopops slowly eat away the brain
As Tarzan said to Jane, 'it's a jungle out there.'

Don't drink the water and don't breathe the air
For the sake of the children repeat the refrain:
On leaving the house you'd best say a prayer
As Tarzan said to Jane, 'It's a jungle out there.


Scheme AbA abA axA abA abA abAA
Poetic Form
Metre 1100111101 1101011011 11111101011 1101111001 111011011101 1100111101 111011101 0101111101 11111101011 1011101001 010101010001 1100111101 011101111111 11010101 11111101011 1101001101 101101001001 1100111101 11111101011
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 845
Words 172
Sentences 6
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4
Lines Amount 19
Letters per line (avg) 35
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 111
Words per stanza (avg) 28
Font size:
 

Submitted by RobertHaigh on July 05, 2020

Modified on March 14, 2023

54 sec read
193

Roger McGough

Roger McGough was born in Liverpool and educated at St Mary's College and the University of Hull. He has been a writer for many years, and his numerous collections have established him as one of the most distinctive and powerful voices in contemporary poetry. more…

All Roger McGough poems | Roger McGough Books

2 fans

Discuss this Roger McGough poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "It's a Jungle Out There" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/53891/it%27s-a-jungle-out-there>.

    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!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    19
    hours
    1
    minute

    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?

    »
    Published in 1954, "Fighting Terms" was the first collection of poems by which poet?
    A Sylvia Plath
    B Ted Hughes
    C Philip Larkin
    D Thom Gunn