When We Had Been Lovers by Lawrence S. Pertillar: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem When We Had Been Lovers that begins with:

If I looked at you again,
I know I would remember when......

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: AAB AACcC ABdAD AAEFe AABd AACcC ABdADXAAEFe
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 3,5,5,5,4,5,11,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 0111101 11110101 11010 0111101 11110101 11110 10 1111010 10101010101 1101 1 10101010101 1110111 10101010101 1110101 111101 01011 101 0111101 11110101 11010 01010 0111101 11110101 11110 10 1111010 10101010101 1101 1 10101010101 1110111 10101010101 1110101 111101 01011 101
  • Amount of stanzas: 8
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 120
  • Average number of words per stanza: 21
  • Amount of lines: 37
  • Average number of symbols per line: 25 (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; i is repeated.

    The author used the same words if, even 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 When We Had Been Lovers;
  • 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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