Why Was Cupid A Boy by William Blake: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem Why Was Cupid A Boy that begins with:

Why was Cupid a boy,
And why a boy was he?... 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: aaXa XaXa abXb XcXc Xaba
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 111001 110111 111001 111111 111001 1011001 11111011 111111 1011001 10101101 101101001 1100101 1111101 11001001 10110001 001101001 101101 110001 1100001101 10111001
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 118
  • Average number of words per stanza: 25
  • Amount of lines: 20
  • Average number of symbols per line: 29 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 6

  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

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

    The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The word/phrase he connects the lines.

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

  • summary of Why Was Cupid A Boy;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

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