This is an analysis of the poem To Any Dead Officer that begins with:

Well, how are things in Heaven? I wish you’d say,
Because I’d like to know that you’re all right. ...

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: ababcdcd eeeefdfd cgcghchc eieiidid ejejkkXi
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 11110101111 01111011111 1111110101 1010110101 1111111111 1111110101 11011011 1111010001 1101010101 01011100001 1011110101 0111010111 11111101010 1101111101 110001110 1100010101 1111111110 01101100101 1011011111 11011011101 11111101001 1011011001 01011001 1001011111 1111110111 11010100101 1101010101 1011010101 1111011101 0101111111 10110111 0111011101 0111010101 1111110101 1110110101 1001010111 11011111110 1111011101 100001100 1111100101
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 366
  • Average number of words per stanza: 72
  • Amount of lines: 41
  • Average number of symbols per line: 44 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 9
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; you, i, of, to, it are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of To Any Dead Officer;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Siegfried Sassoon