This is an analysis of the poem Idem the Same: A Valentine to Sherwood Anderson that begins with:

I knew too that through them I knew too that he was through, I knew too that he threw them. I knew too that they were through, I knew too I knew too,... full text

Elements of the verse: questions and answers

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  • Rhyme scheme: aa b c d e f X d G h i j h X k k k k k f k k c e e G D b D b D B D B b B B B B B b b b b b l l l b c k c k e k d i a b d k k k k a h j f f f f f f d k d d Xg
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 2,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,2,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11111011111111111110111110111111111110 1100 011010101110100111011010011110010001010010001111010001101011101101001011101001101011001010001111101011010110101110101010011101011110001001001011111 0011010001100011111 1111 010101 0100110 01101 01101 111111 100001 1 1011110 1 1 010101 10101101 1011101 101011011011101 10101101111011011101101 11111010 11111010010101011011 11111010010100110101011 111110100101101110011110 11111010010110111111011 1101 111111 00 11 00 111 100 111 100 1111 11 111 11 1111 11 111 1 011 1011 1011 111 001 1001 10001 001101 10 111111101111 010010110110010100010 111011110111 101010011100 101101010 1001001110110111101110001110001 10101111101111 1010 010001010 111001011100110010101010001011101100010100101001110010101010001101111010100101011010111011001101101001 10111001 10111001 11110101 1101111001 0111110111111100010110101001111111110 01101 00101110 11011000101010 101011010101010 101011111011101010 101101101011111100111010 010101001010111111010 10101011101010 101 0111111111011111111111010111111111111011011110101101001111111001010111101001001011010010 001 110010001101001000111001000010101010001001001001101010110110110110111000101111111 1101 11011110101010110111010001010101101101011101111010010000101010111001010010110101001001011110100100111010011110101011101010101001011111110011110
  • Amount of stanzas: 78
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 62
  • Average number of words per stanza: 13
  • Amount of lines: 81
  • Average number of symbols per line: 67 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 12
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; knew, i, and, through, too, they, tear, hunter, if, them, in, that, black, of, with, very, mine, fine, my, valentine, why, you, feel, differently, about, not, please, to, be, one, some, bundles, we, her, lovely, little, which, he, it, useless, see, dishes, she, can are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words i, a, very, why, and, not, they, she, let are repeated.

    The author used the same words a, very, why, and, not, they, she at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines them, valentine, one, well, please, pleased, again, lovely are repeated).

    The poet repeated the same words valentine, one, well, please, pleased, again, lovely at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

    The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The word/phrase please connects the lines.

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

  • summary of Idem the Same: A Valentine to Sherwood Anderson;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Gertrude Stein