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

I speak to you across cities
I speak to you across 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: aa X bX c aacXaX XbXXaX aX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 2,1,2,1,6,6,2,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11010110 1101011 11001110 110001110 1101001 110100100 110100010 10101010 1011010110 10111010 10011010 1110111 1100100 110010 0100011011 1111111 11110101 01010001 1101101101 0100110
  • Amount of stanzas: 7
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 89
  • Average number of words per stanza: 16
  • Amount of lines: 20
  • Average number of symbols per line: 31 (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 The 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