Analysis of The Passenger



Born in December on a cold winter’s day
I was baptised a Christian without any say
My life given direction before I could walk
A school then chosen before I could talk

I went through communion and was soon confirmed
In my inner cocoon I wriggled and squirmed
I advanced through school to the final stage
Soon after that I was earning minimum wage

I lost that job and ended up in university
Spending years later enduring much adversity
I married and worked until I was told to retire
My life force consumed like a ravenous vampire

I sit here a widow, my kids flown the nest
Patiently I wait for my eternal rest
I spent my best days in the passenger seat
I now well up in tears as my life’s all but complete

I feel like I’ve never truly had much of a say
Just putting my head down day after day
It took twenty more years until my heart gave in
Finally it’s time to get me out of this skin


Scheme AABB XACC DDEE FFGG AAHH
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 10010101101 11101001101 111001001111 0111001111 11101001101 0110011101 1011110101 110111101001 1111010100100 1011001010100 1100101111101 111011010010 11101011101 10011110101 11111001001 1111011111101 1111101011101 1101111101 111011011110 100111111111
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 898
Words 178
Sentences 1
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 35
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 142
Words per stanza (avg) 35

About this poem

This poem is about a man looking back upon his life and being deeply saddened at the realisation that he never really felt that he made any key life choices by himself, he always felt like a passenger.

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Written on May 07, 2024

Submitted by Lee_Geoghegan on May 07, 2024

Modified by Lee_Geoghegan on May 10, 2024

53 sec read
3

Lee Geoghegan

Lee Geoghegan holds an honours bachelor degree in horticulture, He has always had a keen interest in plants and wildlife, He finds it extremely relaxing when he is working in his greenhouse at his local allotment site. His poem entitled ‘Beautiful Day' depicts how he gazes upon nature and how the natural world resonates so deeply within his heart. Lee has always enjoyed poetry, his favourite poem has always been The Lake Isle of Innisfree by W.B Yeats, the poem paints a vivid picture of tranquility for him and resonates deeply. Lee is currently working on various projects and his ambition is to become a talented and respected poet. more…

All Lee Geoghegan poems | Lee Geoghegan Books

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