This is an analysis of the poem Epitaph On Mrs. Margaret Paston, Of Barningham, In Norfolk that begins with:

So fair, so young, so innocent, so sweet,
So ripe a judgment, and so rare a wit, ... 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: aaabbXacc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 9,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 1111110011 1101011101 01011110101 0011111111 1111010101 10101001110 0101010101 11010001110 1101010001
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 384
  • Average number of words per stanza: 77
  • Amount of lines: 9
  • Average number of symbols per line: 42 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 9
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

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

  • summary of Epitaph On Mrs. Margaret Paston, Of Barningham, In Norfolk;
  • 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 Dryden