This is an analysis of the poem Desolation that begins with:

I think that the bitterest sorrow or pain
Of love unrequited, or cold death’s woe, ... 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: abba cddc eeee fggf bhhb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: enclosed rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 11101001011 0110101111 01010110111 111100101 11110101111 110100111 110101101 111100101 110101111 1011100111 1110101100 010101111 1011101111 1011011101 1101011001 1100101101 111100111 1111100111 01101001011 11100101101
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 173
  • Average number of words per stanza: 34
  • Amount of lines: 20
  • Average number of symbols per line: 43 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • 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; that, and, when, we, it are repeated.

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

    The author used the same word when 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 Desolation;
  • 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