This is an analysis of the poem Portraits that begins with:

You were in the room, yet your body
Was stone cut in drooping lines...

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: XaaXbaXaXXcXXbcdd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 17,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 100011110 1110101 110100100111 101111101 100101111 1110101001011 111110011 0111010101 1100111 1 1110101100 1111110001 1111111010010 111110101 1111011 111000101 111111001
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 663
  • Average number of words per stanza: 120
  • Amount of lines: 17
  • Average number of symbols per line: 38 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Maxwell Bodenheim