This is an analysis of the poem I Cannot Live With You (No. 640) that begins with:

I cannot live with You--
It would be Life--... 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: abcb aded bfgf aheh ighX ajjj eiii aaah hgjj ikhk XihiXhcccjc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,11,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 110101 0101 110101 0101 0101010 101 110100 101 0100011 111 0101010 111 111101 1111 0101011 111 111111 1111 011101 1100 111101 0111 11110 111 11110 11111 011111 1101 10111 1111011 110 111 01110101 111111 110100 1101 1011110 111 110 101001 1011 110100 1101 110101 111101 1111 010101 110111 111100 01
  • Amount of stanzas: 12
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 91
  • Average number of words per stanza: 17
  • Amount of lines: 50
  • Average number of symbols per line: 21 (very short strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 4
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

  • summary of I Cannot Live With You (No. 640);
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Emily Dickinson