This is an analysis of the poem I Cannot Be Known that begins with:

I cannot be known
Better than you know me ...

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: ab XXXc XXX cX b aX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 2,4,3,2,1,2,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: sonnet with iambic trimeter or irregular meter
  • Metre: 11001 101111 110111 1010 111111 0101110101 1101110 110010101 010100001 01110101 110101 11101110100 11001 101111
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 64
  • Average number of words per stanza: 13
  • Amount of lines: 14
  • Average number of symbols per line: 27 (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; to is repeated.

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

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

  • summary of I Cannot Be Known;
  • 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