This is an analysis of the poem Unknowing that begins with:

WHEN, soul in soul reflected,
We breathed an æthered air,... 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: ababXcXC adXdacaC eXeXeceC XfefgXgc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1101010 111101 11010 1111 1101010 011101 11010 1011 1111010 110101 110000 0111 1100110 111101 11110 1011 11111010 1111110 11110 0101 0101110 110111 11010 1011 111101000 111111 111100 1011 111101010 01010010 11010 1111
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 248
  • Average number of words per stanza: 36
  • Amount of lines: 32
  • Average number of symbols per line: 31 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 4
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; i is repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words we, and, i are repeated.

    The author used the same word when at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

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

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Thomas Hardy