This is an analysis of the poem What Is Flirtation? that begins with:

What is flirtation? Really,
How can I tell you that?... 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: XaXa abXb Xcdc Xece Xfcf Xgdg
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1001010 111111 11111101 111101 1100011 1100101 11110111 111101 1100011 110001 11010101 110101 11000011 110101 11011101 010001 1100010 110101 11010101 110111 1101010 111101 11111111 111101
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 119
  • Average number of words per stanza: 23
  • Amount of lines: 29
  • Average number of symbols per line: 24 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 5
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; 'tis is repeated.

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

    The author used the same word 'tis 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 What Is Flirtation?;
  • 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