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

O meadow lark, so wild and free,
It cannot be, it cannot be,...

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: aabb aacc aadd Xaaa ddee
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11111111 01000100 11010111 11100101 110011101 01000100 11101111 01010111 11000101 01000100 11000101 11010101 11111100 11011010 11010101 01010011 11011101 01110101 11011101 11101101
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 131
  • Average number of words per stanza: 26
  • Amount of lines: 20
  • 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; in is repeated.

    The author used the same word o at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

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

  • summary of Captivity;
  • 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 William Service