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

How terrible these nights are when alone
With our scarred hearts, we sit in solitude,... 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 ecec gaga hbhbXbfbf
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,9,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 1100111101 0111110101 1111000101 1100010101 1001010101 1100111101 11000111001 0100011100 1001010101 1101010101 1101010101 0101110111 1111110111 1111010001 1001110111 1111010001 1101110011 1111011111 1101110101 1111011101 0101110101 1100010111 1111110101 0101111001 1011000101 1111111111 1111110101 11110011101
  • Amount of stanzas: 7
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 172
  • Average number of words per stanza: 33
  • Amount of lines: 28
  • Average number of symbols per line: 42 (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; and, it, or, with, we are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of Spectres;
  • 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