This is an analysis of the poem The Eagle That Is Forgotten that begins with:

Sleep softly ... eagle forgotten ... under the stone.
Time has its way with you there, and the clay has its own.... 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: aA XXbb ccdd eeffaa aAggg
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 2,4,4,6,5,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 110100101001 1101011101101 1110110111101001 110110110110100 11101111110111101 1101011111101 01011101011011 01001001101011 01101101001101 11101001001011 1111001111111 01101011011001 1110100101101 01011011001011 01011001111001 01011111001001 110100101001 1101011101101 11111011111001 01011011101001 01011111101001
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 253
  • Average number of words per stanza: 47
  • Amount of lines: 21
  • Average number of symbols per line: 60 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 11
  • Mood of the speaker:

    There are many three dots in the poem. Readers should think of the author's idea together with the pensive speaker.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; you, and, at, your, of are repeated.

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

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines name is repeated).

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

  • summary of The Eagle That Is Forgotten;
  • 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