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

I did not stand at the altar, I stood
at the foot of the chancel steps, with my beloved,...

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: aaXXbcabdaeafaaeaXcfgcccXXXechaaXdhdgccXfg
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 42,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1011101011 1010010101010 1010011011 100101001 1110100011101 101001011 01110101 10100101 1100101010100 100110111 011101010 0111011110 11101110 1011101111 0100111011 101111100 10010111 101101011110 110011010 10101110 00110101 0001101011110 011110101 101011011 010110101 1010111 001101100 10011010 101010110111 011110111 01010010101 011011011111 11000001001 111101001010 11111011 01111001110 101101110 111000101 111101110100 10101011111 1111111110 100011101011
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 1660
  • Average number of words per stanza: 324
  • Amount of lines: 42
  • Average number of symbols per line: 39 (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, we, it, i, had, to are repeated.

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

  • summary of The Wedding Vow;
  • 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