Analysis of Adolescence
Claude McKay 1889 (Clarendon Parish) – 1948 (Chicago)
There was a time when in late afternoon
The four-o'clocks would fold up at day's close
Pink-white in prayer, and 'neath the floating moon
I lay with them in calm and sweet repose.
And in the open spaces I could sleep,
Half-naked to the shining worlds above;
Peace came with sleep and sleep was long and deep,
Gained without effort, sweet like early love.
But now no balm--nor drug nor weed nor wine--
Can bring true rest to cool my body's fever,
Nor sweeten in my mouth the acid brine,
That salts my choicest drink and will forever.
Scheme | AXAX BCBC DEDE |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (67%) |
Metre | 110110101 0111111111 1101010101 1111010101 0001010111 1101010101 1111011101 1011011101 1111111111 11111111010 1100110101 11110101010 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 540 |
Words | 100 |
Sentences | 4 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 12 |
Letters per line (avg) | 35 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 138 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 33 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 30, 2023
- 30 sec read
- 355 Views
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"Adolescence" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/6841/adolescence>.
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