This is an analysis of the poem Individuality. that begins with:

Sail on, sail on, fair cousin Cloud:
Oh loiter hither from the sea.... 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: abaab cbccX deeee efeef ghggh bdXbd igiig abaab bjbkj iliil XXiXXi bfbbf bhbbh lhllh amaam mbmmb akaabXahaah
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,6,5,5,5,5,5,11,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11111101 11010001 111111 11011101 1111010101 110010101 11011111 110101 01101101 11001011100 10110101 10111101 111101 11110111 0101110111 111101001 11011111 100101 11010101 1111010111 11111111 010010101 1100101 10110111 0101010101 11110111 11111001 111101 11010111 1101010101 101001101 10101101 010101 01010011 1111010101 11110111 11110101 010111 11110101 0101110101 110010101 111110110 1100111 11010100 10011101010 11111101 11010101 100101 01000111 011001101 1011 0110 01101 10101 0110 100101 11011101 10010111 111100 11010101 1100110011 10010111 010101001 110111 11011101 0011010111 11011101 10111101 111111 01110101 11010110001 11111111 01101111 111111 001110101 1101010100 11101111 010110101 111111 00110011 11001011101 11001111 11011100 111101 11111111 1100011011 11111111 01001111 110101 11110101 1001011101
  • Amount of stanzas: 18
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 178
  • Average number of words per stanza: 33
  • Amount of lines: 91
  • Average number of symbols per line: 34 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and, knoweth, my, how, or are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words yon, part, the are repeated.

    The poet repeated the same word thee at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

    The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The word/phrase knoweth connects the lines.

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Sidney Lanier