This is an analysis of the poem If I Were Fair that begins with:

If only I were fair,
Or had some charm to bind...

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: AbccbaA AaXcXaA AXddXaA AecceaA AfccfaA
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 7,7,7,7,7,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 010101 111101 010101 010001 111101 111101 010101 010101 111101 111100 0101001 1101010 111111 010101 010101 011111 110111 111001 101000 011111 010101 010101 111101 110101 110101 110101 111101 010101 010101 1101001 011101 010111 110111 111111 010101
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 175
  • Average number of words per stanza: 35
  • Amount of lines: 35
  • Average number of symbols per line: 24 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 5
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; i is repeated.

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

    The author used the same word if at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines fair is repeated).

    The poet repeated the same word fair at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

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

  • summary of If I Were Fair;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Marian Osborne