This is an analysis of the poem Vanitas! Vanitatum Vanitas! that begins with:

MY trust in nothing now is placed,
Hurrah!...

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: a ba bccc d bd Efff a ba Eaaa a ba Efff g bg Eaaa a ba baaa h bhXbccc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 1,2,4,1,2,4,1,2,4,1,2,4,1,2,4,1,2,4,1,7,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11010101 01 10011111 01 1111001101 11001101010 101101 11110111 01 11111111 101 11110101 11110101 011101 11110101 01 11011101 101 01010101 01010001 011101 11010111 01 11110101 101 11010110 01011101 111101 11110111 01 01011101 101 11110100 11011111 111110 11110111 01 111100101 01 00010111 11110101 110111 11010101 01 11010111 01 11110111 01100101 111101
  • Amount of stanzas: 21
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 62
  • Average number of words per stanza: 12
  • Amount of lines: 49
  • 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:

    There are many exclamation marks in the poem. The speaker is excited. He or she has strong feelings on the subject that is described in the poem.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; i is repeated.

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

    The author used the same word hurrah 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 Vanitas! Vanitatum Vanitas!;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe