This is an analysis of the poem Song Before Death: From The French that begins with:

SWEET MOTHER, in a minute’s span
Death parts thee and my love of thee;... 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: ababXb cdcdXb XaXaXb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,6,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11000101 11111101 11111101 11110101 11111100 11111101 11010111 1011011001 1111001001 01110100 01110100 11110101 110111001 10111111 11110101 11111111 11111100 11101101
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 204
  • Average number of words per stanza: 41
  • Amount of lines: 18
  • Average number of symbols per line: 33 (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; love, i are repeated.

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

    The poet repeated the same word day 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 Song Before Death: From The French;
  • 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