This is an analysis of the poem If I Had Stayed Afraid that begins with:

If I had stayed afraid,
To walk upon paths unpaved......

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: AXXb AcXXXba cddXabab
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,7,8,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 011101 01011100 1100101000101000 101010111111 011101 011100101 10101001101 1100101000101000 11010111111 1110010010001 00100101101 0 1110100111101 0110101010101 101011111100 1011010011 111000010 10100101001011010 10110010
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 255
  • Average number of words per stanza: 46
  • Amount of lines: 19
  • Average number of symbols per line: 39 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    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; to, i are repeated.

    The author used the same word if 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 If I Had Stayed Afraid;
  • 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