This is an analysis of the poem Listen! that begins with:

Whoever you are as you read this,
Whatever your trouble or grief, ... 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: abab cdcd efef egeg hhhh
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 010111110 11011011 111011010 01101001 110110010 11011011 111110010 11011001 110010011 11101011 010010011 11101011 110011011 11011011 011110111 01101001 1110111001 11001001 1010011110 11111011
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 147
  • Average number of words per stanza: 26
  • Amount of lines: 20
  • Average number of symbols per line: 36 (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; you is repeated.

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

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

  • summary of Listen!;
  • 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