Analysis of In Waiting
Jonathan Walker 1977 (South Africa)
Cold winds rise forth from the all but black waters
Scattered with reflections of pale lights
As I stand on this platform poised against the night
Forced to wait upon a train
From this small ledge men have lept
Into the darkest lights
A defyant departure
Leaving bystanders mortified
If I imagine
His last goodbyes
I might condemn him a Judas
I might contend that I could never be so bold
But the truth is
I have been that desperate
I've known such pain
And felt such shame
Every cold breath I draw is by grace
And each hard day a step of faith
May I never forget that life is the rarest blessing
Here comes my train
| Scheme | XABC BAXX XXXX XXCX XXXC |
|---|---|
| Poetic Form | Etheree (40%) |
| Metre | 11111011110 101010111 11111110101 1110101 1111111 010101 01010 101010 11010 111 11011010 110111110111 1011 111110 1111 0111 1001111111 01110111 11100111101010 1111 |
| Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
| Characters | 597 |
| Words | 118 |
| Sentences | 1 |
| Stanzas | 5 |
| Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
| Lines Amount | 20 |
| Letters per line (avg) | 25 |
| Words per line (avg) | 6 |
| Letters per stanza (avg) | 100 |
| Words per stanza (avg) | 24 |
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Submitted on April 21, 2016
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 35 sec read
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"In Waiting" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 11 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/75333/in-waiting>.
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