This is an analysis of the poem A Tardy Apology that begins with:

You ask me, friend,
Why I don't send... 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: aabccX ddeeee XXXbbX fffggX ffXhhX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,6,6,6,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1111 1111 011111110 1101 1101 01001010 1101 1111 110001110 1111 1101 110111011 1101 0110 100101010 1001 0101 110101010 1111 1110 010100010 10101 1101 110110100 0111 0111 11101111 1101 1101 01010101
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 141
  • Average number of words per stanza: 26
  • Amount of lines: 30
  • Average number of symbols per line: 23 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 4
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

  • summary of A Tardy Apology;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Eugene Field