This is an analysis of the poem Anna Who Was Mad that begins with:

Anna who was mad,
I have a knife in my armpit....

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: abcdDXeXabf eaggXdfX XcdhfDhbbDXXhfb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 11,8,15,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: shakespearean sonnet
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10111 11010111 111111111100 11110010 0111101 01101110 0111011010 0101 1110 11 1 110100110 11010111 001101 1010101 111111110 110 11 1 1100110010011 11001100110 11010010111100 110010110111 10111010011111 0111101 01111111101011 01100110110100 11111011 0111101 0011110 111011011001 110101111 11 1
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 342
  • Average number of words per stanza: 70
  • Amount of lines: 34
  • Average number of symbols per line: 29 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The speaker asks many questions. Perhaps, he or she is in confusion.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; i, say, me, take, in, and, you are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words did, say, take, give, write are repeated.

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

  • summary of Anna Who Was Mad;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Anne Sexton