This is an analysis of the poem If You Had A Friend that begins with:

If you had a friend strong, simple, true,
Who knew your faults and who understood;...

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: ababbcbc dedecbcb fafabbbb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 011011101 111111101 1010010101 1111110101 1111100101 1111100111 011110111 110110111 1010111111 1110010111 111010101 1011110101 111110101 1110110101 1111100101 110110101 011011011 111101111 1101101001 1111101101 011100111 110101101 1111101101 110110101
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 337
  • Average number of words per stanza: 67
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 41 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; who, you, would, to, and, he are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words who, and, you'd, you are repeated.

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

  • summary of If You Had A Friend;
  • 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