This is an analysis of the poem I Could Do It Better that begins with:

I don't understand as good as I should.
And I know I could do it better....

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: ab ab aBXBcBcB DBXBEbFbXDBEBFB
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 2,2,8,15,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1110110111 111111010 111111111 11111110 100100101 1110110 0101010101001 1110110 0101010111101 1110110 010001100101 1110110 1101111001 1110110 01010101111 1110110 101 01110 0101 011110 1101111001 1110110 101 0111010 0101 0111010
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 158
  • Average number of words per stanza: 31
  • Amount of lines: 26
  • Average number of symbols per line: 30 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

    The author used the same words i, live at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    The poet repeated the same word better at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

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

  • summary of I Could Do It Better;
  • 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