This is an analysis of the poem A Desolate Shore that begins with:

A desolate shore,
The sinister seduction of the Moon,... 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: abX cdXbbeXefcgggdff hfchfdihXdga ghibhXc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 3,16,12,7,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 01001 0100010001 0100010001 101011 01010101 10010101001 11011100101 010011 10011110 01001101001 0100110110 11110101 0011101101 1010011 1010001 10110100001 01110001 11110 1 110000101 1010001 11101101 11011011101 1001011101 111001 0100010101 111100 10001000100 11010110101 100101 11011110101 0101 0100110100 10110001 01010 10011111 0110010100 1001010011
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 326
  • Average number of words per stanza: 54
  • Amount of lines: 38
  • Average number of symbols per line: 33 (medium-length strings)
  • 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; her, of are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of A Desolate Shore;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by William Ernest Henley