On Their Terms by Lawrence S. Pertillar: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem On Their Terms that begins with:

Showing an indifference,
With a building of fences to defend them......

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: aXbccXc aacdbXb EbEbabaXEbbcdbbb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 7,7,16,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1010100 00100100010 0101010001 1010110101 101110010001 1010001 1010010111001 0110101001001 0101011101 0010010110 010101001011 11110101 0100111011 1011101001 1010100 1111001 1010100 11010 1101001 1011100 0110101 1010100 1010101 110100001 0101001001 00100001 0111101 10010010 0111011
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 246
  • Average number of words per stanza: 43
  • Amount of lines: 29
  • Average number of symbols per line: 33 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 6

  • 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, their are repeated.

    The author used the same word people 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 On Their Terms;
  • 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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