This is an analysis of the poem Archibald Higbie that begins with:

I loathed you, Spoon River. I tried to rise above you,
I was ashamed of you. I despised you...

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: aaXbXcXXdecdeXfbfgffg
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 21,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1111101101011 1101011011 101010100 110101010 10010101 1101111001 0100101100 1100100101 1010110101 10101011 111011111 101110111 010111010 11001010100 11110110110 111011111 1111111010 11010101 0101111010 1001010110 101011
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 826
  • Average number of words per stanza: 158
  • Amount of lines: 21
  • Average number of symbols per line: 38 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines you is repeated).

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

  • summary of Archibald Higbie;
  • 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 Lee Masters