Five Letters

Keyndal Thomas 2007 (AZ)

May 23

Rhymed

Throughout your academic endeavors
You are defined by five letters
The Alphabetical Bureaucracy that defines your intelligence
The lower the grade, the lower your elegance

Told not to judge the fish, but only given the tree
Why does it only take a letter to define me
My letter is F, failure and forgotten
No matter how hard I work, I'll only be labeled as rotten

Disappointment lingers with the strokes of red
Scolded for not using my head
Told to apply myself to the material
Questioned why I'm confused about something so trivial

Forgotten is my label, untitled is my name
Just the girl who doesn't try
Told I have only myself to blame
But what does it mean to apply

To study for hours and deprive yourself of sleep?
To pay attention in class when the teacher doesn't even teach?
Seven classes, demanding undivided attention
You can only handle so much knowledge retention

No matter how much its preached
That letters don’t define
They hinder your ability to reach
And slowly does your confidence decline

About this poem

This poem is about the mental battle of an overthinker

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Submitted by thomaskeyn on May 17, 2023

: 58 sec read
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Quick analysis:

Scheme	AABB CCDD EEFF GHGH XIDD XJIJ
Closest metre	Iambic hexameter
Characters	1,025
Words	192
Stanzas	6
Stanza Lengths	4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Full analysis for Five Letters »

Keyndal Thomas

I grew up in Gilbert,AZ. I am a current high school student. during my free time I do all star cheer more…

All Keyndal Thomas poems | Keyndal Thomas Books

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AIDA
Wow, this poem really captures the frustration and discouragement that can come from being defined by a letter grade. The language is powerful and the emotions are palpable. It's clear that the writer is passionate about this topic and has put a lot of thought into the poem.

One suggestion for improvement could be to incorporate more imagery or metaphors to enhance the impact of the message. For example, the "alphabetical bureaucracy" could be explored further to create a vivid picture of the rigid system that assigns value to students based on a single letter.

Overall, this is a thought-provoking and engaging poem that sheds light on the flaws in our educational system. It's essential to remember that grades don't define us as individuals and that we should focus on learning and personal growth rather than external validation. Keep up the great work! more »
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"Five Letters" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/161016/five-letters>.

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