Knowing Very Little by Lawrence S. Pertillar: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem Knowing Very Little that begins with:

Someone knows 'someone'
Who has been quick to express disappointment, ...

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: Xab cXX cddXd cXdeaXffgX hgXXXbhec
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 3,3,5,10,9,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 111100 11010011010 010 1100101 1010001101 10111100101 11101 111111000101 01010101101111 11010100110 110101101010 111110101001000100 1101101011 101001 10010101 11111111 111010000100 11101111010 11010 1010110101001 111 1111 0011001 11001 11110101011 10101 10111 11 1011
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 156
  • Average number of words per stanza: 28
  • Amount of lines: 29
  • Average number of symbols per line: 31 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 6

  • Mood of the speaker:

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

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and is repeated.

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

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines tv is repeated).

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

  • summary of Knowing Very Little;
  • 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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