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

Three months after he lies dead, that
long yellow narrow body,...

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: aXXXbcXXadbaXacXcefagdfhbbiXbiXXcbidXhge Xe
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 40,2,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11101111 1101010 111111001 010100101101 10111111 011101010 11110100110 111011010 10110010 1101010111011 011111110 11001001000101 011011010 101110011 1110110101010 11001001011 0010110100100000 11 10111011001 111010101 101111110 011101011 11 101 10011000101110 10 0111011 100111110 100101111 11010111110 1001101001 01111011 01000110010 101101001 10011001101111 101010011 01001111100110 11011101010111 01010110010 0101 0100010
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 803
  • Average number of words per stanza: 157
  • Amount of lines: 42
  • Average number of symbols per line: 37 (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; and, i, to are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of The Mortal One;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Sharon Olds