This is an analysis of the poem Whatever Is - Is Best that begins with:

I know as my life grows older,
And mine eyes have clearer sight, ... 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: abXbXXXB cdbddbab XcacdbXB
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: shakespearean sonnet
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11111110 1111101 110110111 110101 11101010 101001100 111101110 110001 11111010 1110111 0111110 10100101 11101010 0110101 101110010 1110001 1111110 0010101 1111010 1010001 111111110 0010101 111111110 110001
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 261
  • Average number of words per stanza: 48
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 32 (medium-length strings)
  • 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; i is repeated.

    The author used the same word i at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    The poet repeated the same word best at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

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

  • summary of Whatever Is - Is Best;
  • 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