Analysis of I Cry, I Yell, I Die



I cry for help yet no one answers
Can't you see the tears in my eyes
If I wasn't a black man
Then would you see me cry?

I yell for my life, yet you ignore me
Can't you recognize my voice?
I'm complying with your commands
To ignore me is your choice

What will you tell my family?
When my death is a breath away?
How will you describe my last moments
As I took my last breath that day

As I cried with a loud voice
Because I could not breathe
You tortured me with commands
Ones I could not keep no matter the pleas

I continued to yell for relief
In order to breathe you see
Why did you choose me to abuse
Why wouldn't you just remove your knee?

May 25th, 2020 was my last day on earth
You take an oath to protect and to serve
A promise made and not kept in my case
My life mattered to family, friends, voices unheard

I Cry, I Yell, I Die even when I comply
You see as a black man, life is not the same
When encountered by the police
Without Videos, I'll always be the blame

Family, I'm sorry to leave you this way
Please tell my children I loved them so
Daddy had a date with destiny and had to go
I wish I could have watched them grow

We never know how our lives will end
Nor the way we will leave this earth
Just remember to love and forgive
What matter the most is what took place
Not only on our last day but from the day of birth

I Cried, I Yelled, I Died right there in the street
My life was taken by officers of the law
I was a child of God who cried, yelled, and died
While the policeman held me down with his knee
I Can't Breathe, I Can't Breathe, I Can't Breathe
George Floyd by name, I Cry, I Yell, I Die

(c)Jessie Y Leverette
May 28, 2020


Scheme XXXA BCDC BEXE CFDX XBXB GXHX AIXI EJJJ XGXHG XXXBFA XE
Poetic Form
Metre 111111110 11101011 1110011 111111 1111111011 111011 10101101 1011111 11111100 11110101 111011110 11111111 1111011 011111 1101101 1111111001 101011101 0101111 11111101 110110111 111111111 1111101011 0101011011 1110110011001 111111101101 11101111101 10101001 0110011101 10011011111 111101111 1010111000111 11111111 1101110111 10111111 101011001 110011111 11011011110111 11111111001 111101100101 11011111101 10010111111 111111111 1111111111 1101100 1
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,604
Words 342
Sentences 6
Stanzas 11
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 2
Lines Amount 45
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 116
Words per stanza (avg) 31
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Submitted on March 25, 2021

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:45 min read
6

Jessie Y Leverette

I am a 67-year-old African American woman who grew up in rural Alabama on my family farm. I have been writing since I was eight. I have submitted poems to Poetry.com under the name of Jessie Y Clark. Most of my writings are based on Biblical Thought and Inspiring Scriptures which encompass a wide variety of genres and heartwrenching concerns. Many of my poems are reflective of my life experiences. more…

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    "I Cry, I Yell, I Die" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/96657/i-cry%2C-i-yell%2C-i-die>.

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