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

FOR a name unknown,
Whose fame unblown... 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: XXab aacb ddXe aace fffg ggXg
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: shakespearean sonnet
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10101 1110 1001 11011 1011 01000 11101 1111 1111 001001 01010 1101 1111 0111 111001 0101 1101 00101 001011 0101 10101 1111 10111 1101
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 76
  • Average number of words per stanza: 16
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 18 (very short strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 4
  • 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 words for, of are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of Why;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Bliss William Carman