This is an analysis of the poem Sestina that begins with:

I saw my soul at rest upon a day
As a bird sleeping in the nest of night, ... 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: ababab bababa ababab bababa ababab bababa Xbab
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,6,6,6,6,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 1111110101 1011000101 0111110111 0101110101 1101110101 1111110001 0101001101 01110010111 1100110001 1001010101 1100011101 1101111101 1111011101 0111010101 0101111111 1101110101 0101110111 0111010111 1111111101 1011011101 1111110001 10011001001 1110110101 11010010111 1011110101 1101000111 1111110001 1101010001 110011101101 1101111101 1111110101 0111010101 0101110111 1111011111 1001011001 1111010111 1111111101 01010100111 1111111101
  • Amount of stanzas: 7
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 246
  • Average number of words per stanza: 49
  • Amount of lines: 45
  • Average number of symbols per line: 38 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; of, and, all, nor, thy are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words what, nor are repeated.

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Algernon Charles Swinburne