This is an analysis of the poem The Only Day In Existence that begins with:

The early sun is so pale and shadowy,
I could be looking up at a ghost...

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: abXbcXdefghhX dXdXXdfeafcgh
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 13,13,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: shakespearean sonnet
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 01010111100 110101101 0010010 01010010 1011101 010011101 0100110 10101010011 001001 01010010 010010011 110101010 011110 100100010 1010001001 010010001110 10000101001 10011101110 101011010 100101011 1000111010 0110111 1011 1001011001 001101 0101110
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 413
  • Average number of words per stanza: 81
  • Amount of lines: 26
  • Average number of symbols per line: 31 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; of is repeated.

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

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

  • summary of The Only Day In Existence;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Billy Collins