This is an analysis of the poem Close By that begins with:

So near at hand (our eyes o'erlooked its nearness
In search of distant things) ...

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: XaXabb cbcbbb dedebb cacabb fefeebb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,6,6,7,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1111111000010 010101 01110101010 111101 1001110101 011111 11010111110 0111010 11111111010 0111010 0111010111 111101 10111110010 011101 01011101010 011101 1111010011 111111 11111111110 0111010 11011101110 011101 1011111101 111111 11010111010 110101 11110111110 1101011101 011000110111 11001101101 111111
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 232
  • Average number of words per stanza: 43
  • Amount of lines: 31
  • Average number of symbols per line: 37 (medium-length strings)
  • 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; had is repeated.

    The poet repeated the same word hand 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 Close By;
  • 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 Pauline Johnson