This is an analysis of the poem Loitering With A Vacant Eye that begins with:

Loitering with a vacant eye
Along the Grecian gallery, ... 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: aXbbaaaacX ddeeffeebbcXaaff
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 10,16,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: enclosed rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10000101 01010100 11011101 11011101 1010111 11001111 1010110111 11010101 11011101 110011100 1111111 11010101 10110011 11101111 11011101 01111111 0111101 1110101 0111111 1111101 1011111 11111010 1110111 11111101 11110111 1010101
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 456
  • Average number of words per stanza: 84
  • Amount of lines: 26
  • Average number of symbols per line: 34 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; we, i are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words we, i, and are repeated.

    The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The word/phrase still connects the lines.

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

  • summary of Loitering With A Vacant Eye;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Alfred Edward Housman