This is an analysis of the poem Lucy’s Birthday that begins with:

Seventeen rosebuds in a ring,
Thick with sister flowers beset,... 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: abbacXca XbbXbdbd efefghgh
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 101100001 10101001 0010101 1010011 00011111 1111100 0110000 01100001 1011111 1011101 0110111 11100111 1010101 0111101 1110101 1111111 1011110 11111011 01100011 0110011 11001001 1110101 1010001 1010001
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 248
  • Average number of words per stanza: 44
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 30 (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 word the is repeated.

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

  • summary of Lucy’s Birthday;
  • 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 Makepeace Thackeray