This is an analysis of the poem Like a Sentence that begins with:

How little we know,
and when we know it! ...

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: ab cdd cdeXaf gXefhc fbXXbXiXdchXfgbcfbXgeadbdcdXcifdeg
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 2,3,6,6,34,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 11011 11110 0110011101 110100110111 001001111111101 10110101 011101001010 1111010011001 1001101010101101 11011011111 01011010 00010100101 11010100101 11100110010 10101001 1110111010 101101010001 1011010101 01011111 11111011001 100010101101110 110001111011101101 10011011010 1010101 111001011101 10101101001 0111111 10100010010 1101010101 111111001111001 11010111001 10100010111011010 11010100010001001 11001011 010101011101 11101010 001010111 11111111001 1101011011111 10100000111 1101111010100 011011010101001 110100001001011 0001000100 0100010011 0101001111 0110011110011010 101110011101 011001111110 10101001110001
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 388
  • Average number of words per stanza: 71
  • Amount of lines: 50
  • Average number of symbols per line: 46 (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; to, for, i, we, of are repeated.

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

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

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

  • summary of Like a Sentence;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by John Ashbery