This is an analysis of the poem Better Things that begins with:

Better to smell the violet
Than sip the glowing wine;...

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: abXb cdad efaf cgfg dcgc aaca baXX a XdXd bheh
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,1,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10010100 110101 10010001 110101 10010101 110101 10010101 1010101 10010100 110111 10010001 1010101 10011101 110110 10010111 111111 10000101 1010001 10010111 011001 10011111 1101001 10011111 1011111 10010101 1101001 100 11101 1010101 10010101 1101001 10011101 110101 10011101 1111001 10010111 1010101
  • Amount of stanzas: 9
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 121
  • Average number of words per stanza: 23
  • Amount of lines: 38
  • Average number of symbols per line: 28 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 5
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

    The author used the same word better 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 Better Things;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by George MacDonald