Payback Doesn'T Retract by Lawrence S. Pertillar: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem Payback Doesn'T Retract that begins with:

Those haunted by a guilt,
And wishing it to rid......

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: ABCBBAdXa eDF AGAFE ABCBBA eDFaXAGAFE
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 9,3,5,6,10,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 110101 110001 010101 001110 11011010 10101101 01011101 101101100 10010101 111001001 1001 0100010 111001 0100010 1101 1010101010 10010111101 110101 110001 010101 001110 11011010 10101101 10111001001 1001 0100010 1101000010000 111001 0100010 1101 1010101010 10010111101
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 165
  • Average number of words per stanza: 28
  • Amount of lines: 32
  • Average number of symbols per line: 30 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 5

  • 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 is repeated.

    The author used the same word payback 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 Payback Doesn'T Retract;
  • 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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