Based Upon Your Terms by Lawrence S. Pertillar: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem Based Upon Your Terms that begins with:

For years you interpreted the life you live,
Based upon your terms....

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: XAbcXc DbeAbffaX DXbceXA
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,9,7,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10101000111 10111 110001001111 101001101 0011100 1010011101 101 1101111001 01100 10111 1 111010100 1111 1111010 1010101 101 0111001 1011001 111010 100101100 1101001011 10111
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 215
  • Average number of words per stanza: 38
  • Amount of lines: 22
  • Average number of symbols per line: 29 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 5

  • Mood of the speaker:

    There are many exclamation marks in the poem. The speaker is excited. He or she has strong feelings on the subject that is described in the poem.

    There are many three dots in the poem. Readers should think of the author's idea together with the pensive speaker.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; you is repeated.

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

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

  • summary of Based Upon Your Terms;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Lawrence S. Pertillar

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