This is an analysis of the poem A Lovers' Quarrel that begins with:

We two were lovers, the Sea and I;
We plighted our troth ‘neath a summer sky.... full text

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: aa bb cc dd ee aa aa ff gg aa ee hh aa ii cc eeXaa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,5,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 110100111 1101110101 11101001010 1111101010 111101111 111100101 1100101101 111110101 1110100101 100101111 1011101001 1111111101 1101110101 0110100111 1111100101 111100101 1110101111 0111110111 1011100111 1110110101 1010110101 111100101 110100111 111111101 110111101 0111011101 110101111 10100111111 111101111 0111011001 111110101 1101111111 110110101 1110110111
  • Amount of stanzas: 15
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 92
  • Average number of words per stanza: 19
  • Amount of lines: 36
  • 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; and, we, his, , as, winter, i are repeated.

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

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

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

  • summary of A Lovers' Quarrel;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Ella Wheeler Wilcox