This is an analysis of the poem Variations On Nothing that begins with:

That negligible bit of sand which slides
Without a sound and settles in the hourglass, ...

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: abcd bddXXbadc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,9,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: enclosed rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 1100010111 010111000101 101001010101 01000101001 10111100101 0101110101 010100001 0011111001 0101110101 10100010111 10100010111 11011010001
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 171
  • Average number of words per stanza: 31
  • Amount of lines: 12
  • Average number of symbols per line: 42 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words the, and are repeated.

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

  • summary of Variations On Nothing;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Giuseppe Ungaretti