This is an analysis of the poem Valedictory Address To The D--N that begins with:

John Alexander Frere, John,
When we were first acquent,... 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: AXabacXX AadaacXC XefXecfC agagXcgX AagXdceC aaXaXcXCXabebecaC
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,8,8,17,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1101011 110110 1101110 0010101 1111011 110101 111110110 11010100 1101011 110111 0111011 111111 1110111 110101 11110110 110101 101100100 110101 1101010 11001010 1111010 110001 111110101 110101 10101011 110101 1101010 011101 10111010 111011 01010101 11010100 1101011 110111 1101111 0110110 0101111 110111 11011111 110101 0101111 111101 1111010 110111 1100010 010011 11110101 110101 1101111 110101 1100010 111111 1101010 011101 01000101 110101
  • Amount of stanzas: 7
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 232
  • Average number of words per stanza: 42
  • Amount of lines: 56
  • 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; of is repeated.

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

    The author used the same words john, there at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    The poet repeated the same word frere at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

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

  • summary of Valedictory Address To The D--N;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by James Clerk Maxwell