Analysis of Average American



"Average" is a value like "median" and "mean:"
centrality measures mathematically derived.
A murky abstraction designating in-between
top and bottom tally of results clearly contrived
to pigeonhole data and corral further extreme.

"Average American" is a perverted concept.
The multiplicity of the complex populace
can never be indexed with calculations upswept.
An "average vegetable," an absurdity nonplus,
compares diversity in a fashion quite inept.


Scheme ABABX CDBDC
Poetic Form
Metre 1001010110001 0100100100001 010010100001 1010101011001 110100011001 10001001001010 001001010100 11011010101 1100100101001 0101000010101
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 444
Words 66
Sentences 5
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 5, 5
Lines Amount 10
Letters per line (avg) 37
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 186
Words per stanza (avg) 32
Font size:
 

Submitted on February 05, 2010

Modified on March 05, 2023

19 sec read
6

Wallace Dean LaBenne

Professor, therapist, author and poet. more…

All Wallace Dean LaBenne poems | Wallace Dean LaBenne Books

5 fans

Discuss this Wallace Dean LaBenne poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Average American" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/66328/average-american>.

    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.
    2
    days
    16
    hours
    44
    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?

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