Let Us Be Drunk by William Ernest Henley: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem Let Us Be Drunk that begins with:

Let us be drunk, and for a while forget,
Forget, and, ceasing even from regret,... 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: aabba aabCXaabbaC
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 5,11,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: rondeau
  • Metre: 1101110101 0111010001 1011010101 10010100101 11110111111 1001010111 1101011001 1111110101 1101 01110101111 1111011101 1101010001 0101010101 1100110111 1101
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 194
  • Average number of words per stanza: 37
  • Amount of lines: 15
  • Average number of symbols per line: 38 (medium-length strings)
  • 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; and is repeated.

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

    The poet repeated the same word drunk 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 forget connects the lines.

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

  • summary of Let Us Be Drunk;
  • 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

Poems about...
✕