This is an analysis of the poem A Lament that begins with:

O World! O Life! O Time!
On whose last steps I climb,... full text

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: aabaB ccbcB
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 5,5,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 111111 111111 10011111101 1001010011 111101 100111 011101 1011101101 1111011001 111101
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 164
  • Average number of words per stanza: 33
  • Amount of lines: 10
  • Average number of symbols per line: 32 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    There are many exclamation marks in the poem. The speaker is excited. He or she has strong feelings on the subject that is described in the poem.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; o, and are repeated.

    The poet repeated the same word more 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 A Lament;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley