Analysis of The Funfair of Life
An eerie silence enshrouds,
Closing tightly around
My ears and neck until
I shiver violently.
I’m asked this question often.
Would I step on again
Knowing the grief and pain
Each ride forced me to endure?
The park is deserted now.
Mirror trees stretch down low
As a sprinkling of stars
Sparkle in the evening glow.
The funfair, that promised fun,
Inspired an appetite
For magic and mystique,
But only disappointed.
Our lives are a roundabout,
That entices each sense
With each new twist and turn
Until we’re spent and ashen.
The proud carousel horses,
Gracious in their beauty,
Cantering, galloping
Ride us the ride of our lives.
Big Dipper takes us up slowly,
Inviting us to view
Each changing scene and hue
Then discards us callously.
The evil ghost train screeches,
Spectres that laugh and scream.
Vile spit-spats so mocking
Tear tears down faces so cream.
Ferris Wheel you wield and deal,
Calculating our risks,
Yet knowing we’re safe –
As each high and low we feel.
Lastly, the rollercoaster,
The master of all tricks
Takes you on a journey
That spins so quick, like the switch.
Be careful, though, this monster
Is ruthless and cruel
And cares not for feelings –
It’s power that drives this beast.
On reflection of your day,
The cellophane surface
Of the millpond shimmers
In a silky, milky way.
Would you ride again, you ask?
Was any of it fun?
Did you learn, with each turn,
Or were the lessons too hard?
Scheme | AXXB CXXX XDAD CXXX XAEC ABFA BGGB AHFH IAXI JABX JXAX KAAK XCEX |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (23%) |
Metre | 110101 101001 110101 1101000 1111010 111101 100101 1111101 0110101 101111 101011 1000101 011101 010110 110001 110010 1011010 1111 111101 0101010 011010 100110 1100 11011101 11011110 010111 110101 1011100 0101110 11101 111110 1111011 1011101 100101 11001 1110111 100100 010111 111010 1111101 1101110 110010 011110 1101111 1010111 01010 10110 0010101 1110111 110111 111111 1001011 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 1,435 |
Words | 291 |
Sentences | 18 |
Stanzas | 13 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 52 |
Letters per line (avg) | 21 |
Words per line (avg) | 5 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 86 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 19 |
About this poem
I wrote this poem when my husband was diagnosed with cancer. We took this ride together, not knowing what twists and turns, or obstacles would be placed in our way. Like the fairground that promised fun, this journey juxtaposed fun. Would I ride again? Yes!
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"The Funfair of Life" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/181883/the-funfair-of-life>.
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