This is an analysis of the poem The Lamp that begins with:

If I can bear your love like a lamp before me,
When I go down the long steep Road of Darkness,... 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: abXX XXab
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 011111101011 11110111010 11110101011 11010 01111111111 01111111110 10111111011 01010
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 164
  • Average number of words per stanza: 33
  • Amount of lines: 8
  • Average number of symbols per line: 40 (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; i, find are repeated.

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

    The author used the same word if 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 The Lamp;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Sara Teasdale