Steps by Frank O'Hara: poem analysis

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

How funny you are today New York
like Ginger Rogers in Swingtime...

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: aXb cdefbegageeX ghbXcccebihX diiijibb aifeh dXjXX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 3,12,12,8,5,5,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 110110111 11010010 11101010010001 1111110011011 111001111111 0111011 11100111 1100 110010111001 11001101110 11110001001 11010 101001101 1110101111 110111 11010 1110 11011101 10110111 111101100110 101101001111 0101 11100101101010111 11 0101010111 10011110 101 0010101010110 11001011 110111 1001011001010010 100110 111101101 010101101000100 1111101110 10101011011 10010010 10111110111 1111010110001 1010110 110100 01101 111110 11110101 11111
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 257
  • Average number of words per stanza: 52
  • Amount of lines: 45
  • Average number of symbols per line: 33 (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; and is repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same word and is repeated.

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Frank O'Hara

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