Analysis of Nelson Mandela's torment.
I didn't set out to start a war
you bought the war to me
all I ever wanted
was justice, peace, equality.
Did you really believe my imprisonment
would erase my people's anger
did you think you could silence tormented voices
that screamed for justice in a world full of fear.
There was never a doubt in my mind
that my people would run and hide
for even the street rat grows wise
in his quest to belong, to survive.
You say you set me free
but I was a prisoner long before you turned the key
you took my life but never my dream
I died a free man under no one's command.
We all are children of God
there's no need to fuss and fight
it's what's inside that counts
of that I have no doubt.
So let me spell this out
it's not all black and white
we all bleed red, we laugh, we cry,
we live, we learn, we love, we die.
I wish I could rest in peace
but I toss and turn in my grave
for colour's no longer the issue
religion dominates.
So much hatred, so much pain,
land and oil the ultimate gain
freedom fighters, dictatorship,
martyrs, saviours, holy war.
What did I sacrifice my life for.
Scheme | ABXB XXXX XXXX BBXX XCXD DCEE XXXX FFXA A |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 110111101 110111 111010 11010100 11100110100 10111010 11111101010 11110001111 111001011 11101101 11001111 011101101 111111 11101001011101 111111011 11011101101 1111011 1111101 110111 111111 111111 111101 11111111 11111111 1111101 11101011 11110010 01010 1110111 10101001 1010010 101101 11110111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,048 |
Words | 215 |
Sentences | 9 |
Stanzas | 9 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 1 |
Lines Amount | 33 |
Letters per line (avg) | 25 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 93 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 24 |
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Submitted on June 30, 2015
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:06 min read
- 3 Views
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"Nelson Mandela's torment." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/79983/nelson-mandela%27s-torment.>.
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