This is an analysis of the poem Excelsior that begins with:

If one should strive to reach a star,
He would not build a ladder high,... 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: abab cbcb bdbd efef
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 01110101 11110101 11110111 11110101 11110111 01000101 11010111 11110111 10110101 11010111 11110110 01110101 11011100 11110101 11111101 10111101
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 141
  • Average number of words per stanza: 30
  • Amount of lines: 16
  • Average number of symbols per line: 35 (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; s is repeated.

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

  • summary of Excelsior;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Francis William Bourdillon