Analysis of An Old Friend
“Let me tell you a story” ~
the oldest of all good lines.
It begins with you
and ends with me,
as many good stories do.
I can already see you smiling.
Yes, when you were born
you were so small,
as most newborns are.
Time passed and you grew
into the tallest amongst us.
You whispered words of kindness
and sheltered all in need.
In springtime, your bounty
delighted us,
and in summer, it grew,
until, in autumn, you gave it to me.
In the sweetness of preserves,
your generosity will be
remembered throughout
the long winter.
Your arms reach up to the sky,
while your feet are firmly
bound by the warm earth.
Your body is now wizened,
yet still strong and full of life.
For many years to come we will
keep each other company,
and I will read stories
beneath your friendly boughs.
| Scheme | AXBABX XXXBCCX ACBAXAXX XAXXXXAXX |
|---|---|
| Poetic Form | Etheree (27%) Tetractys (23%) |
| Metre | 1111010 0101111 10111 0111 1101101 110101110 11101 1011 1111 11011 01010011 1101110 010101 01110 0101 001011 0101011111 0010101 1010011 01001 0110 1111101 111110 11011 1101110 1110111 11011111 1110100 011110 011101 |
| Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
| Characters | 753 |
| Words | 147 |
| Sentences | 11 |
| Stanzas | 4 |
| Stanza Lengths | 6, 7, 8, 9 |
| Lines Amount | 30 |
| Letters per line (avg) | 20 |
| Words per line (avg) | 5 |
| Letters per stanza (avg) | 151 |
| Words per stanza (avg) | 37 |
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Submitted on May 02, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 44 sec read
- 3 Views
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"An Old Friend" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/65735/an-old-friend>.
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