"To a Sad Daughter" is an 85-line poem with eight stanzas written in free verse. While Ondaatje does not rely on any overt poetic devices here, a close look does reveal considerable use of alliteration, as well as a strategy fairly common and always remarkable in this poet's work—his ability to sharply define a message with brief, surprising statements.

Many of the lines in "To a Sad Daughter" are quite prosy, detracting from the assonance and consonance that would otherwise be more prevalent. We find, however, a good flow of sound in such instances as the repetition of the "p" in "... reading the sports page over the Alpen/ as another player ..."; the repetition of the "ah" sound in "When I thought of daughters /I wasn't ..."; the various uses of "s" in "... I'll come swimming / beside your ship or someone will / and if you hear the siren / listen...