This is an analysis of the poem The Heart Will Remember that begins with:

When life burns to ashes that hold but an ember-
A fast-fading spark of their olden-time glow- ... 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: abAbcdcd aeaeeded dfdffgfg hihiajAj
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: shakespearean sonnet
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 111010111110 01101011011 011011010010 01001001101 010010010010 01001001101 010010110110 11011001010 010010010110 11101111001 110010011110 11101001001 010010010010 11101001001 110110010110 11011011101 010110110010 01101001001 011010010110 11011001011 110110100010 11010011111 111010010010 11111001001 111011111010 01001011001 110010011010 11001001011 110110010010 11001011111 011011010010 11101011001
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 380
  • Average number of words per stanza: 67
  • Amount of lines: 32
  • Average number of symbols per line: 47 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • 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; her, and, your are repeated.

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

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Andrew Jackson Downing