This is an analysis of the poem To A Lady Asking Foolish Questions that begins with:

Why am I sorry, Chloe? Because the moon is far:
And who am I to be straitened in a little earthly star?... 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: aa bb cc dd ee
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 2,2,2,2,2,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 1111010010101 1111001000010101 0111011100110 0101010011111 01010111101111 11010100011111 0111111111101 10101110010111 0111111111111 111011101111011
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 111
  • Average number of words per stanza: 23
  • Amount of lines: 10
  • Average number of symbols per line: 55 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 12
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The speaker asks many questions. Perhaps, he or she is in confusion.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; i, face, and are repeated.

    The author used the same word because 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 To A Lady Asking Foolish Questions;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Ernest Christopher Dowson