This is an analysis of the poem The Old Man's Wish that begins with:

If I live to be old, for I find I go down,
Let this be my fate: In a country town...

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: aabbCCC ddeeCCC ffeeCCC ggaaCCC cchhCCC
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 7,7,7,7,7,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 011001111111 1001100101 111011001101 10101101111 1110110011011 1110110111101 01111101001 10101101001 0010110101111 0010101111 11101101101 1110110011011 1110110111101 01111101001 01011011111 001111001001 01101011011 11111011001 1110110011011 1110110111101 01111101001 0010111011010 110010010010 0101011001 0101111111 1110110011011 1110110111101 01111101001 0010010111111 11111101011 00101100010110 11111011010 1110110011011 1110110111101 01111101001
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 346
  • Average number of words per stanza: 64
  • Amount of lines: 35
  • Average number of symbols per line: 49 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 9
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

    The author used the same word with at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    The poet repeated the same word decay 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 The Old Man's Wish;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Anonymous Americas