Needs! Not 'Knees' by Lawrence S. Pertillar: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem Needs! Not 'Knees' that begins with:

You act as if,
You are not sensitive at all...

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: abc XdeX Xdaeedfdbe cc XdggffbcXX dX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 3,4,10,2,10,2,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1110 11110011 001010 1 1111001 111111 011011101110 110101 11101000111111 1111100111 0101010 1001 101110 10011 1010101 101111001111 11101011 1 11 1 11111 11010101 1100101 1111 01 1111000111 11101010 11110 1111101111 010 100
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 127
  • Average number of words per stanza: 26
  • Amount of lines: 31
  • Average number of symbols per line: 24 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 5

  • 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; i, if are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words you, as are repeated.

    The poet repeated the same word ' 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 Needs! Not 'Knees';
  • 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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