Analysis of Unshackled
Joe Strickland 1986 (Hobbysville, SC)
I am Joe, an atheist,
unshackled and free,
No more fear, guilt, shame, or self-hate inside of me.
I've found happiness in my own way,
With my wife and two daughters
Ryleigh and Stella are my religion now.
But each week I drive by that small country church,
Where I was raised, and left in the lurch,
Feeling a great melancholy, despite my liberation,
Still haunted by the echoes of religious damnation.
But I am a man of my own mind, with my own thoughts,
No longer confined to old superstitions, and life long sought,
I am free to explore, to learn, to grow,
To seek my own answers, and let my curiosity flow.
I am bewildered by the close-mindedness of some,
Who shun me, even though my heart's filled with love for everyone,
My own family, treating me as if I've turned evil,
When all I've done is seek the truth, and peace for all people.
But I am not alone, for there are others like me,
Whose hearts are free, and free to see,
And we stand together, strong and united,
Even if the world still feels divided.
For we know that love is what binds us all,
And we carry that love within us, standing tall,
With our own beliefs, and our own ideas,
Embracing diversity, and rejecting all fears.
So let your heart's light shine, as bright as can be,
Be true to yourself, and to others, kind and free,
For in the end, it's the love we share,
That makes us who we are, and shows that we care.
Scheme | XAAXX X BBCC XXDD XCEE AAFF GGXX AAHH |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1111100 01001 111111110111 111000111 1110110 1010110101 11111111101 111101001 1001100011010 11010101010010 1110111111111 11001110100111 1111011111 11111001101001 1101010110011 11110111111110 11100101111110 11111101011110 1111011111011 11110111 01101010010 1010111010 1111111111 011011011101 1101010101010 0100100001011 11111111111 111010110101 100110111 11111101111 |
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 1,402 |
Words | 301 |
Sentences | 9 |
Stanzas | 8 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 1, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 30 |
Letters per line (avg) | 35 |
Words per line (avg) | 9 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 133 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 33 |
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"Unshackled" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/159489/unshackled>.
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