This is an analysis of the poem O Wretched Man! that begins with:

O wretched man! Why lov’st thou earthly life?
Which nought enjoys but cares and endless trouble;... 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: ababcc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 1101111101 11011111010 1101110101 11011101110 1101111101 1111110101
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 288
  • Average number of words per stanza: 50
  • Amount of lines: 6
  • Average number of symbols per line: 47 (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.

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

  • summary of O Wretched Man!;
  • 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