This is an analysis of the poem How Long Have They Been Doing This? that begins with:

What and who are they looking for,
Outside of their own backyards? ...

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: Xa XXXbX bX Xaa X XaX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 2,5,2,3,1,3,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11111101 1101111 110101010 111000101 101 11101 001010101010 1 110101001 1 01101110111 0101110 11110100 11010101101 101110101 10101001001
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 85
  • Average number of words per stanza: 16
  • Amount of lines: 16
  • Average number of symbols per line: 32 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • 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; they is repeated.

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

  • summary of How Long Have They Been Doing This?;
  • 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