This is an analysis of the poem What We Can Be that begins with:

What We Can Be
We cannot all be men of fame,...

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: Xababcdcd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 9,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 1110 11010101 11010101 11010111 11011011 110101010 11010011 1111010010 1010111
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 269
  • Average number of words per stanza: 57
  • Amount of lines: 9
  • Average number of symbols per line: 29 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; we, be, cannot, all are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of What We Can Be;
  • 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