How Ironic by Lawrence S. Pertillar: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem How Ironic that begins with:

What goes through the mind,
That spends time undermining others? ...

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: abacb Xdabeb Xbfgdcf XcXe ggfbccX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 5,6,7,4,7,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: shakespearean sonnet
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11101 111101010 110010 1110101 111101 11110 011010 01001111 010001010 1100111010 010110111 1010110 010001 0011001 1001 1101 011101 0011001 1111 01111 11111001 10101001001010 1111 10001111 1 11101 1101011 10101 0100110
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 167
  • Average number of words per stanza: 29
  • Amount of lines: 29
  • Average number of symbols per line: 28 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 5

  • Mood of the speaker:

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

    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 how at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The word/phrase to connects the lines.

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

  • summary of How Ironic;
  • 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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