This is an analysis of the poem How Can I Keep From Singing? that begins with:

My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation... 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: aXbcXaXA XXXdbadA ceXeeaXA
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11110101 0111000 11011111 1101010 11010101 1101010 01110011 1111010 11111101 0111010 11010101 1001110 11111101 1011010 110101011 1111010 11110111 1101010 111101110 1111010 01011111 0101010 11111110 1111010
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 261
  • Average number of words per stanza: 51
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 32 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The speaker asks many questions. Perhaps, he or she is in confusion.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; i is repeated.

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

    The poet repeated the same word singing 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 How Can I Keep From Singing?;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Robert Wadsworth Lowry