Momentarily by Lawrence S. Pertillar: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem Momentarily that begins with:

We shun those living.
And praise those dead....

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 cddb ceffeeb bgbhggaiififbahb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 3,4,7,16,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11110 1111 10100 101010101 11111 1111000011 10100 101011101 11010111 1011110101 001000010 00110110101 11 10100 10100 1011001110 10100 1101011101 0101011 011010 001010001 10111 1101 10011 01010110 101011101 10100 00010 1110101 10100
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 194
  • Average number of words per stanza: 33
  • Amount of lines: 30
  • Average number of symbols per line: 25 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 4

  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

    The author used the same word we 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 momentarily connects the lines.

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

  • summary of Momentarily;
  • 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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