This is an analysis of the poem In Memoriam that begins with:

Looking some papers over,
Dusty and dim and old,... 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: abcbddbd XedefgXg debebeae acXcXcfc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1011010 101111 1111111 01101001 11010110 11111001 101110110 100110 11001010 110101 01110010 11101101 10111111 1111111 11111011 1110111 111001010 111111 1111010010 1100101 101011110 11111001 11110110 0011101 11010110 1101011 101000110 0101001 111010011 0111111 10111111 110111
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 258
  • Average number of words per stanza: 52
  • Amount of lines: 35
  • 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; for, he, that, ever are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of In Memoriam;
  • 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