This is an analysis of the poem Night Thoughts 1 that begins with:

Have I no future left me?
Is there no struggling ray...

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: aaXa bcdc dcXc dbXb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1111011 0111001 001011110 111101 0111011 1101101 0111011 100101 1111010 100101 111011110 111111 1111110 111111 11011010 1100101
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 122
  • Average number of words per stanza: 24
  • Amount of lines: 16
  • Average number of symbols per line: 30 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The speaker asks many questions. Perhaps, he or she is in confusion.

  • 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 word and is repeated.

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

  • summary of Night Thoughts 1;
  • 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 Boyle O'Reilly