This is an analysis of the poem Playing It Safe that begins with:

Play it safe?
On what field of endeavor, ...

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: aXb XccdX aebbbeXcXd ebfcfXf
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 3,5,10,7,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 101 1110010 1110011 001011101 0010110 01001010 010110101 10100110 1111001 1100110 11 111 11011 0100101010 10 1101111 0101 011110 10101001 001001 1011101100 111010 10101100 011111001 010100111
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 174
  • Average number of words per stanza: 29
  • Amount of lines: 25
  • Average number of symbols per line: 27 (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.

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

  • summary of Playing It Safe;
  • 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