This is an analysis of the poem Phoebus Mistaken that begins with:

When Apollo pursu'd his coy Mistress of old,
If his Harp, as they tell us, was made of right Gold;... 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: aabbaaXX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 101001011001 001111111011 11111001011 11011001001 111101101101 11111101111 100011010010 1101001001101
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 418
  • Average number of words per stanza: 82
  • Amount of lines: 8
  • Average number of symbols per line: 51 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 10
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

  • summary of Phoebus Mistaken;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Samuel Boyse