This is an analysis of the poem I Went Down Into The Desert that begins with:

I went down into the desert
To meet Elijah—... 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: AXbXX AabbX ABbABX ABbbbXX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 5,5,6,7,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11100010 01010 010001 11011011001 11111110 11100010 011010 110111 1011011111 1111100 11100010 0111 110100 11100010 0111 111010010 11100010 0111 1111010001 1111111101 1111110001 11111111001 110010101110
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 182
  • Average number of words per stanza: 38
  • Amount of lines: 23
  • Average number of symbols per line: 31 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • 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; i is repeated.

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

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

    The poet repeated the same word i 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 i connects the lines.

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

  • summary of I Went Down Into The Desert;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Vachel Lindsay