This is an analysis of the poem Say Something To Me that begins with:

Say something to me! I've waited so long--
Waited and wondered in vain;... 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: ababcdcd ededfdfd ggggahXh
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1100111011 1011001 1001011101 1001001 1001011011 1011001 1001011011 1101111 1100101001 1101001 1011101001 1111011 1001011010 1101001 1001001001 1111011 1100111111 0111101 0111001001 1111101 0011011011 1011011 1101111010 1001001
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 278
  • Average number of words per stanza: 56
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 34 (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; i, and are repeated.

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

    The author used the same word say 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 Say Something To Me;
  • 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 Whitcomb Riley