This is an analysis of the poem Looking At A Portrait that begins with:

O why are there eyes like these,
That sparkle and dapple and tease, ...

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: AabbA AaccA AaddA
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 5,5,5,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: rondeau
  • Metre: 1111111 1101111 11001011001 10110010001 1111111 1111111 0110101 110111101 111001111 1111111 1111111 11011111 011110101 1010100111 1111111
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 189
  • Average number of words per stanza: 36
  • Amount of lines: 15
  • Average number of symbols per line: 37 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • 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; and is repeated.

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

    The author used the same word o at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

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

    The poet repeated the same word these 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 Looking At A Portrait;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Joseph Seamon Cotter