Analysis of I Have Failed', an accidental 12-stanza poem

David Daigle 2005 (South Carolina)



I have failed.
That is not hard to admit.
It certainly helps that all the proof
Is pointing right towards it.

I have failed.
This may as well be “Good-Bye,”
For at the end of this year, surely,
My end in Student Government is nigh.

I have failed.
Nothing can be done.
And if you’re wondering what I am talking about,
If I get 100s for the rest of the year for a certain class, I’ll still end with 75.81.

I have failed.
75 is a passing grade,
But in order to stay in Student Government,
At least an 80 must be made.

I have failed.
I think it kinda funny how
We changed the passing grade to 75,
But that still wont help me now.

I have failed.
Except in not uttering curses.
How on this Earth
Have I written this many verses?

I have failed.
That much is true.
Technically I haven’t failed YET
But there’s nothing I can do

I have failed.
Real talk though, limiting myself to three verses a stanza is easier than expected.
Probably due to my English teachers
And their knowledge that I’ve collected

I have failed
This isn’t really poetry when you look at it at first
It’s just me telling a story with no real pattern,
But I’ll just call it “free verse.”
I have failed.
I forgot to add a period to the “I have failed” last time
And as someone who prides themself in their grammar,
That is not very sublime.

I have failed.
I think I’ll end this poem here.
If you ever end up seeing this,
Everything happened that in this poem did appear.

I have failed.
As the semester comes to an end,
There’s only one thing that I want.
I want to be a good friend.


Scheme Abxb Acxc Axxx Adxd Aefe Axxx Afxf Agxg AxxxAhxh Axxx Aixi
Poetic Form
Metre 111 1111101 110011101 1101011 111 1111111 110111110 1101010011 111 10111 0111001111001 1111101101101011111 111 10101 101011010100 111111 111 11110101 1101011 1111111 111 010110010 1111 111011010 111 1111 10001111 1110111 111 1111001111001011001010 1001111010 011011010 111 11101001111111 1111001011110 1111111 111 1011101001011111 01111010110 1111001 111 11111101 111011101 101010110101 111 100101111 11011111 1111011
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,528
Words 304
Sentences 29
Stanzas 11
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 8, 4, 4
Lines Amount 48
Letters per line (avg) 25
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 108
Words per stanza (avg) 27
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Submitted on March 16, 2021

Modified on April 13, 2023

1:31 min read
73

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