This is an analysis of the poem The Secretary that begins with:

While with labour assiduous due pleasure I mix,
And in one day atone for the business of six,... full text

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: aabbccdXeebbffaaggffddXXgXXg
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 28,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 101101011011 101101101001 001011101001 11111100100111 111001111001 111111001001 10101011011 101101001100 01101101101 00111001101 110011010001 11111001001 10111010001 11001011011 11111001001 11011101001 11101011001 01011010011 11111011101 101100111111 10001101001 01110011011 10100101001 111111011001 111010111110 1110 1010100 0
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 1209
  • Average number of words per stanza: 232
  • Amount of lines: 28
  • Average number of symbols per line: 42 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; on, my, and are repeated.

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

  • summary of The Secretary;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Matthew Prior