This is an analysis of the poem Percival Sharp that begins with:

Observe the clasped hands!
Are they hands of farewell or greeting,...

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: aXbcXdefdcXaaXeeacgdXbcfXgd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 27,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: shakespearean sonnet
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 01011 111011110 111111111 101010101 010101110000 11000101 010101001 1110 111101 1010101000010 10100111101 11100110 11010101001 1001011101001 1100110100100 0100001010100 001001010001010 110111101 11011110 1101011110110 1111011001000 101011 110101011100 0011111011100100 001101111111 11100100110 111110111011
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 1120
  • Average number of words per stanza: 197
  • Amount of lines: 27
  • Average number of symbols per line: 41 (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; hands, and, your are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of Percival Sharp;
  • 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