Analysis of Good and Evil



I have the aperitif before lunch, you drink a digestif later.
We both share a bottle of wine.
What other ritual can more aptly point to a civilized society?
But there’s a fly in the soup.

We leave the table and go about our business.
One is the executioner, the other a victim;
Alas, we sat at different tables.
We know civility, but we’re not civilized.

The daughter of one’s friend is worthy of respect.
The enemy’s mother is not.
Are we civilized?
Did we dream of the ‘iron lady’ while courting a lady?

Good and evil, instruments of different gods,
Reputed lanes of redemption for each.


Scheme XXAX XXXB XXBA XX
Poetic Form
Metre 110001011110110 11101011 1101001110110100100 1101001 1101001011010 1100100010010 0111110010 11010010110 010111110101 011011 1110 111101010110010 101010011001 0101101011
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 605
Words 123
Sentences 12
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 2
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 33
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 115
Words per stanza (avg) 27

About this poem

Civility and civilization, opposite deities.

Font size:
 

Written on June 15, 2022

Submitted by joegagliano on June 16, 2022

Modified on March 05, 2023

36 sec read
1

Discuss this Joseph Gagliano poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Good and Evil" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/130052/good-and-evil>.

    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!

    More poems by

    Joseph Gagliano

    »

    June 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    18
    days
    21
    hours
    15
    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?

    »
    "Lady, make a note of this: One of you is lying."
    A Bill Collins
    B Ogden Nash
    C May Sarton
    D Dorothy Parker