This is an analysis of the poem Long Ago that begins with:

I loved a maiden, long ago,
She held within her hand my fate;... 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 efXf gXga aeaeXeaedba
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,11,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 11010101 11010111 10010111 11010101 01000101 10010101 11010001 11011101 11111101 11100101 11011101 11110101 11111111 11110111 11011111 11011101 11010101 11111111 11111111 01110101 11011101 11010111 11110111 011101 1 1
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 136
  • Average number of words per stanza: 29
  • Amount of lines: 26
  • Average number of symbols per line: 31 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • 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; her, i, and, you, love are repeated.

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

  • summary of Long Ago;
  • 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