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

I speak to you over cities
I speak to you over plains...

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: aaXXXXaabbaaXXXXabaX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 20,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11011010 1101101 1100111 0110011 11101001 110100100 110100010 10101010 101011 10110100 101110 110110 1111100 1101010 01001111 100111111 11110101 01010011 11011011001 01000110
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 601
  • Average number of words per stanza: 111
  • Amount of lines: 20
  • Average number of symbols per line: 29 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • 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; cities, their are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words i, cities are repeated.

    The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The word/phrase cities connects the lines.

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Paul Eluard