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

Under the moon the long river slides by
Above the long river the moon mournfully slides...

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: aba XbaaXa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 3,6,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 1001011011 010110011001 1001101100011001 1110 1111 0011001 001010011001 010100100101101 11011011010110000001
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 193
  • Average number of words per stanza: 39
  • Amount of lines: 9
  • Average number of symbols per line: 42 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 9
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; moon, long, river, slides, canoe, to, sea are repeated.

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

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines sea is repeated).

    The poet repeated the same word sea at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

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

  • summary of Recitative;
  • 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 van Ostaijen