What Makes You Think You'Re So Special? by Lawrence S. Pertillar: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem What Makes You Think You'Re So Special? that begins with:

Anyone with intent to offend then pretends,
What was done had been meant to be a joke......

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: abXccXabcdXad efX g XX f gX a gaeX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 13,3,1,2,1,2,1,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 100001001101 1111010001 010101010110 1010111 0101001010 000111010 0111111 01010010011 0001001011101 101001010001 110010101 11001010111110 01 101 111001111101011 0111110110001 11101101100111 1 11110101001110011 1110101101001 111101 1110010101 1111101001000 111010111 101 101 111111101
  • Amount of stanzas: 8
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 127
  • Average number of words per stanza: 24
  • Amount of lines: 27
  • Average number of symbols per line: 37 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7

  • 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; to, of, you are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same word to is repeated.

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

  • summary of What Makes You Think You'Re So Special?;
  • 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

Poems about...
✕