Analysis of Seeing the World Upside Down



To me right is left.
So don’t ask for directions.
Too old to change now.
Is it a common problem?
It’s lasted eighty years now.

To me left is right.
When it comes to directions.
I am always lost.
At least I am consistent.
And that is quite important.

Life is a circle.
What comes around goes around.
Maybe I am right.
Even when you think I’m wrong.
Isn’t all quite relative?

Such too is the truth.
Sometimes hard to recognize.
In these modern times.
Everything turned upside down.
All looking for directions.


Scheme XABXB CAXDD XXCXX XXXXA
Poetic Form Etheree  (30%)
Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 11111 1111010 11111 1101010 1101011 11111 1111010 1111 1111010 0111010 11010 1101101 10111 1011111 111100 11101 011110 01101 101111 1101010
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 518
Words 115
Sentences 20
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5, 5
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 20
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 98
Words per stanza (avg) 23

About this poem

The title of this witty four-stanza tanka poem comes from my personal experience of being almost retarded when it comes to direction, seeing things in our physical world many times just the opposite way of how most other people view the physical world. I’ve been told by my children, and now also by their children that I have what they describe as an upside-down-brain; hence the title of this tanka poem. However, upon reflection, the poem invites us to take a deeper look at our selves, and particularly so, at how reality has become distorted in a world culture of relativism and superficiality.  

Font size:
 

Written on February 17, 2022

Submitted by karlcfolkes on February 15, 2022

Modified by karlcfolkes on October 10, 2023

34 sec read
495

Karl Constantine FOLKES

Retired educator of Jamaican ancestry with a lifelong interest in composing poetry dealing particularly with the metaphysics of self-reflection; completed a dissertation in Children’s Literature in 1991 at New York University entitled: An Analysis of Wilhelm Grimm’s ‘Liebe Mili’ (translated into English as “Dear Mili”), Employing Von Franzian Methodological Processes of Analytical Psychology. The subject of the dissertation concerned the process of Individuation. more…

All Karl Constantine FOLKES poems | Karl Constantine FOLKES Books

58 fans

Discuss this Karl Constantine FOLKES poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Seeing the World Upside Down" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/120388/seeing-the-world-upside-down>.

    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!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    2
    days
    18
    hours
    24
    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?

    »
    What animal did Robert Burns call "Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie"?
    A Mole
    B Mouse
    C Spider
    D Sparrow