To Be Understood by Lawrence S. Pertillar: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem To Be Understood that begins with:

Nothing believed comes,
If one should run from it....

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: AbcAb CCcCCC deXccaX CCcCCC ccaa CCccCCdcccXecc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 5,6,7,6,4,14,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10011 011100 1 10011 010110 1001010 0101 1 1101010 1001 00101 011100010 11101 11011011 1 1111 01001 1100010 1001010 0101 1 1101010 1001 00101 1111010 00101010 0 10101111 1001010 0101 1 111010 1001 00101 1110100 111111 111100111111 10110110101 111100 0101 1111011111
  • Amount of stanzas: 7
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 135
  • Average number of words per stanza: 22
  • Amount of lines: 41
  • Average number of symbols per line: 22 (very short strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 4

  • 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, they are repeated.

    The author used the same word nothing 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 To Be Understood;
  • 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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