This is an analysis of the poem An Autograph that begins with:

I write my name as one,
On sands by waves o'errun ... 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: aXaa bbcc dXee ffgg aaee Xedd hhii jjkk aall hhXb iiee XXaa mmii hhaa eXnn nnnX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 111111 1111100 110101 100011 100101 101101 111111 100111 111101 110101 100111 010111 111111 111101 110011 0011000 010101 110101 011100 110101 11010010 111111 110101 011011 111101 010101 101110 111101 010101 011101 1011001 110101 110101 111111 010101 010101 111111 101101 1000011000 1101010 10001110 0111110 011111 111101 10101110 11001010 011101 110101 10111010 0011010 010101 111011 10111010 0111110 011101 111101 10001110 110110 1100110 1011010 1111010 1100010 1111110 11011100
  • Amount of stanzas: 16
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 114
  • Average number of words per stanza: 21
  • Amount of lines: 64
  • 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:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; his, of are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of An Autograph;
  • 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 Greenleaf Whittier