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

To gild refined gold, or to paint the lily,
Or seek by other means to overstress,... 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: aXaX bcbc XdXd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 01011101010 1111010100 11110011010 11001010010 11110111010 1111011100 1100011010 0110011011 10110101010 0101110101 01001100110 0111110101
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 169
  • Average number of words per stanza: 31
  • Amount of lines: 12
  • Average number of symbols per line: 42 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis