This is an analysis of the poem Close To Greatness that begins with:

at one stage in my life
I met a man who claimed to have...

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: XaX bcXacdeXacf cgdfhgeiefeg efiaijXhbiXjb ceg IgIX ahX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 3,11,12,13,3,4,3,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 111011 11011101 1001111000 1110101110 101100 1 1100111 011101 1 101000 10 11010101 10 0 111011 010 101011 11110 1001000 1 101110 10111001 00 10 1110 100 111100 1010 110110 01 11111 11010 10 1010101 1110 1 110111 101010 10 11011 11001010 100 1011 1 1011 1 0101010 11 1
  • Amount of stanzas: 7
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 119
  • Average number of words per stanza: 24
  • Amount of lines: 49
  • Average number of symbols per line: 16 (very short strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 3
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

  • summary of Close To Greatness;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Charles Bukowski