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

The joy of life is living it, or so it seems to me;
In finding shackles on your wrists, then struggling till you're free;...

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: aabbaaccddaaeeffgghhiiff
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 24,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 01010100110101 010101111100111 01011100010101 11010100111101 010010101011101 11010111010101 01101111011101 01010001110101 01010101011101 11110101100101 11110101110001 11010100110101 01000111100111 11111101011111 110101110101001 01010101011101 01111101110001 11000100010101 01010100110101 01011101010101 010111000110001 11011111111101 11011011110101 01011101110101
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 1418
  • Average number of words per stanza: 273
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 58 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 11
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words in, and are repeated.

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Edgar Albert Guest