This is an analysis of the poem Better Than My Last that begins with:

When will I put my pen to rest?
After I achieve my best written poem, ...

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: aXbca dX eeadecbXab dfXbcXXffffffbcaa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 5,2,10,17,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: enclosed rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10111101 10101111010 11 10111 010111111 11011 11010011111 11101001 10111010 110101001 11111 111101111 1110110 01001 11100010 0101111 10111100 1011 1111111 01111 011001 000010101 101010101 11 1101100111 1101010101 0101010101 001111101 0001001011 11001 1111010111 10111 01011011
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 199
  • Average number of words per stanza: 40
  • Amount of lines: 33
  • Average number of symbols per line: 29 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • 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.

    The speaker asks many questions. Perhaps, he or she is in confusion.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; i, to, one are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of Better Than My Last;
  • 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