This is an analysis of the poem Ikon: The Harrowing Of Hell that begins with:

Down through the tomb's inward arch
He has shouldered out into Limbo...

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: XabcdeXdXXfXeacghXXbfdihXXigfXegjgjXXX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 38,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1101101 111010010 0100101010 01001010 0100101111 100010101 101011011010 11001111 010011000 101101010 10011001 1110110010 1111101001 110011010 010100101 1110011111 1110101 001011111 111111110 11001010 101001001001 01101001 1001 111100101 100110100 1001010100 100111111 010110011101 1001010110 101100101 11010111 00100101 0101110011 110111101 10011011 100111 010101 01011110101
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 1422
  • Average number of words per stanza: 249
  • Amount of lines: 38
  • Average number of symbols per line: 36 (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; and is repeated.

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

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

  • summary of Ikon: The Harrowing Of Hell;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Denise Levertov