This is an analysis of the poem Xxvi: Good Creatures Do You Love Your Lives that begins with:

Good creatures, do you love your lives
And have you ears for sense?... 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: abab cdcd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 01011111 111111 10011101 111011 11110011 110101 11010001 111101
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 131
  • Average number of words per stanza: 25
  • Amount of lines: 8
  • Average number of symbols per line: 32 (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; and is repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same word and is repeated.

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

  • summary of Xxvi: Good Creatures Do You Love Your Lives;
  • 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