Us by Anne Sexton: poem analysis

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

I was wrapped in black
fur and white fur and...

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: XabcXadXededXdXfXdd bbeefeeeeccaaa Xb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 19,14,2,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11101 11111 101111 111011 11111 11111 01001001 10111 1111 0110010 1001110 1110101 1100110 1110111 111111 110010 011111 1111110 10 11 1110111 111101 111101 1101010 110101 1101010 010010 011011 010101011 111111 10101001 11100 1100 0100010
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 275
  • Average number of words per stanza: 54
  • Amount of lines: 35
  • Average number of symbols per line: 23 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 5

  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and, i are repeated.

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

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines princess, harvested are repeated).

    The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The word/phrase princess connects the lines.

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

  • summary of Us;
  • 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

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