This is an analysis of the poem The Despair that begins with:

Beneath this gloomy shade,
By Nature only for my sorrows made,... full text

Elements of the verse: questions and answers

The information we provided is prepared by means of a special computer program. Use the criteria sheet to understand greatest poems or improve your poetry analysis essay.

  • Rhyme scheme: aaXX abccc dXee bbccc ffcX bbaaa ccdX ddccX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,5,4,5,4,5,4,5,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 010101 1101011101 110101 011111 111101 110101010 110111 1101101101 1101011101 11011101 1111110111 10011101 11000101 10110111 1111001101 110111 1101101101 1101011101 11111111 1101111101 10110101 01110100 11001101 00110110001 111111 1111110111 1111001111 110111 11001011101 101010101 11010110 10110001 1001110001 111100 1101110101 111101010101
  • Amount of stanzas: 8
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 164
  • Average number of words per stanza: 33
  • Amount of lines: 36
  • Average number of symbols per line: 36 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    There are many exclamation marks in the poem. The speaker is excited. He or she has strong feelings on the subject that is described in the poem.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; ', vain, to, it are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words 'ah, 'in are repeated.

    The author used the same word no at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    The poet repeated the same word ' at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

If you write a school or university poetry essay, you should Include in your explanation of the poem:

  • summary of The Despair;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Abraham Cowley