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

What can I say to you? How can I retract
All that that fool my voice has spoken -...

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: ababbcbc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11110111101 111111110 110111010101 010101010 110111111111 101111110 1011111101 111001110
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 350
  • Average number of words per stanza: 69
  • Amount of lines: 8
  • Average number of symbols per line: 43 (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; that is repeated.

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Vikram Seth