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

The flag is folded
lengthwise, and lengthwise again, ...

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: abcddbacccaebbee affffgfXhghgfhh
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 16,15,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: shakespearean sonnet
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 01010 1111101 10010101 1101001101 10110011 00100100110 1011 11001000101 00101 0101110010101 10101001 0100101010101 01010101 0100110 01001010100101 0011011111 1011101001 01001010100101 0100101100101 0101001010100101 0111011111011 1110010 1001001010101 101001001100 0101001 011101100 001 1010010 0101 1010010 1001
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 583
  • Average number of words per stanza: 101
  • Amount of lines: 32
  • Average number of symbols per line: 36 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; of, take, this, flag, instead are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words the, instead, this, beside are repeated.

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines edge, flag are repeated).

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by May Swenson