This is an analysis of the poem O, What Shall I Do that begins with:

O, what shall I do, or whither shall I turn me?
Shall I make unto her eyes? O, no, they'll burn me!... 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: aabbccaa ddeeffda
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 111111101111 111100111111 1111111111 1001011111 111010111 111011111 1101 1101 111111101010 111011111110 1111111111 0111010101 1010011 0011101 1100 1111
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 293
  • Average number of words per stanza: 60
  • Amount of lines: 16
  • Average number of symbols per line: 36 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • 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; i, my, thy are repeated.

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

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines me is repeated).

    The poet repeated the same word die at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

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

  • summary of O, What Shall I Do;
  • 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 Wilbye