This is an analysis of the poem Mr Ifonly that begins with:

Mr Ifonly sat down and he sighed,
I could have done more if only I had tried...

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: aabbaaccaadd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 12,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 1010011111 11111010111 01011101101 01011101111 01011101111 1110101111 0100111001 111110101 1010011111 111011010111 11111110101 110100111101
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 479
  • Average number of words per stanza: 107
  • Amount of lines: 12
  • Average number of symbols per line: 39 (medium-length strings)
  • 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, if, only, had are repeated.

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

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Brian Patten