This is an analysis of the poem In Memoriam that begins with:

I mourn upon this battle-field,
But not for those who perished here.... 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: abcdcdaeefgfhhdffdaa eggg beeXbiajaj aakffkfbbccgg jijfiifgdaaaaaeelleaXaaaa mfffXafXkkedd mmiiaaaeiei ccbbiiff mmcceeaaXeaa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 20,4,10,13,25,13,11,8,12,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11010101 11111101 010101 10010101 01011101 1101 1101 1111 10001101 0111 01110111 011111 11011101 01010101 1000101 0101 0111 0111 0101 11011011 110111 000101 100101 1101111101 1100011101 1110101 10010101 111101 11011101 110100001 01110001 11111101 11011101 010111 1111011 01010000 100101 1110101 1110101 11011101 1010111 1010101 10010111 0010101 1011101 11010101 1110100 10101111 1010001 0010101 0011111 010010101 11110101 11010001 10101001 10111011 01011101 11010101 11010111 110111 01010101 01011111 010100101 11010101 10010111 10011111 10110101 101101000 110011101 11001101 11010101 11110110101 111001001 10110101 01010111 01010111 001111100 11100101 01001111 11110111 11010101 110111001 01110101 01110111 11110111 11000110 01110101 01010010 010100001 110101 111001 1001 110111 110101 11000101 01001 10110101 01100111 11011101 11111111 01010111 01010101 110101001 01010101 101110101 01001101 11011101 11011111 110010001 11011101 11011011 01100101 01110010 11011101 11111111 10010101
  • Amount of stanzas: 9
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 416
  • Average number of words per stanza: 77
  • Amount of lines: 116
  • 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; of, with, to, and, his, no are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words the, he, of, honour, with, and are repeated.

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson