It is a dance, not a war.
I have crushed men before.
Crushed as I have been crushed,
Taken as I have lost.
For such is the nature of being a man.
I have chosen steps forwards,
Knowing how far back I send the man whose place I take.
And, like you, I have lost to better men.
I am not at peace with either, yet I tread on as I must.
If it comes to pass that you find yourself under my boot,
Know that I am not sorry -
But I see you;
there, as I have been before.
Do not waiver.
Your time will come too.
For it is a dance, not a war.
About this poem
This poem describes the competitive nature of life, especially as a young man. How it can feel like whenever you win or succeed, somebody else has to lose and vice versa. It touches on the guilt we may feel when we try to succeed and thrive, but also attempts to console you and let you know that it’s okay to try - because now it’s your turn to win. “It is a dance, not a war.” implies that we are aware that our success may mean another man’s failure, but we can’t let that dishearten us. Nor shall we be disheartened when another man wins. We’ll simply continue to dance, free from guilt and remorse, because we can’t all drown. more »
Submitted by loganwingate on December 14, 2023
- 37 sec read
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Quick analysis:
Scheme | AXXX XXXX XXBAXBA |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 506 |
Words | 125 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 7 |
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Citation
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"It is a dance, not a war." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/177902/it-is-a-dance,-not-a-war.>.
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