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

Knowing the weariness of dreams, and days, and nights,
The great and grievous vanity of joy and pain;...

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: abba XccX dbbd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: enclosed rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 100100011111 011101000111 111111010001 1011011100101 101001010010 010101110111 101101111101 010111000100 1001001110111 010101011111 1011010011111 001011110101
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 215
  • Average number of words per stanza: 36
  • Amount of lines: 12
  • Average number of symbols per line: 53 (very long 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; and is repeated.

    The author used the same word knowing 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 Alexandrines;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Clark Ashton Smith