This is an analysis of the poem The Shattered Dream that begins with:

I WAS somewhere off in Europe spending money like a king,
Owned a yacht like J. P. Morgan's, when the 'phone began to ring; ...

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: aabXcX ddeeXX bXcXcX ccffcX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,6,6,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 111110101010101 101111101010101 11101010111111 101011101110101 11101011100101101 110111101110001 111110011110101 001010101111101 111110101111101 001000100011100 111011101110101 1010011010010101 111010101110111 11111101110011 110110101111101 011010101111110 11011101110101 111010101111001 101011101010111 111111101110101 111010101110101 01111111111101 111110101110101 111010011111101
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 372
  • Average number of words per stanza: 72
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 61 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 12
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and, i, my, that are repeated.

    The author used the same word i at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    The poet repeated the same word ' at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

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

  • summary of The Shattered Dream;
  • 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