This is an analysis of the poem The Oldest Living Thing In L.A. that begins with:

At Wilshire & Santa Monica I saw an opossum
Trying to cross the street. It was late, the street ...

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: abXXcXacdXcXeddeffXXddbX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 24,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 11110100111010 10010101101 1101001011 011101101001 0101010101001 1011001011 01101110 010010110010 111101101 010110011 1011110010 001111101101 10001010100 1011101101001 010101001001 100010001010 11100011011 11010010111111 110001110101 110110101 11110010110 01001001101 011101001111 011110101111
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 1137
  • Average number of words per stanza: 204
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 46 (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; of, it, who are repeated.

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

  • summary of The Oldest Living Thing In L.A.;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Larry Levis