This is an analysis of the poem Contemplation Of The Sword that begins with:

Reason will not decide at last; the sword will decide.
The sword: an obsolete instrument of bronze or steel, ...

Elements of the verse: questions and answers

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  • Rhyme scheme: AbcdXecefcX bXgfceA aXfagddXXXhXhXijbbadecXibiffXXdjA
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 11,7,33,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1001011101001 0111011000111 100101111 0010010011001 1101010001010 01 0100111010010011 10100010110 0101101011010 01001 010001001100 011010011000100 1000100101001000 01101011010 110010011 11110100110101 1001011100110 1001011101001 11110110011010 11100100110100 1100100011110110 111101111001 0110011 11110111111110 1101 1101100110011000 100101000 01111011100010 10 1101011010101 0101111110 101011101111010 11010011101110010 0100111 11101101011101010 100101100100 010001 0110 1111111111101 011011101011 00111111001 110101101010101 100 11011011111010 1001100011 0101111010111 1100101011001 111101101010000 1010101101 1101 1001011101001
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 846
  • Average number of words per stanza: 137
  • Amount of lines: 51
  • Average number of symbols per line: 49 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • 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; sword, of, and, i, you are repeated.

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

    The poet repeated the same word decide 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 Contemplation Of The Sword;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Robinson Jeffers