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

Partly to throw light on a certain period,
partly to kill an hour or two,...

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: abaXcddcXe afXX cbgahegbdechXfbX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 10,4,16,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: enclosed rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 100111010100 100111011 1111111 0100010010100 010111001101 11001110 100100100 101110101010 11010011010001100 111001100 1110101110 111101011101 101001001100 100111 111001001001 0111 1100110100 11101110011 1110101100 11111 010101010 11010010101 1111 1111111011110 01110011 0111101011011111 01010100 111001011 1101111011 111101010100
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 389
  • Average number of words per stanza: 71
  • Amount of lines: 30
  • Average number of symbols per line: 38 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words partly, i, it are repeated.

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Constantine P. Cavafy