This is an analysis of the poem The Mock Self that begins with:

Few friends are mine, though many wights there be
Who, meeting oft a phantasm that makes claim... 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: abbXabbacdecde
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 14,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: sonnet with iambic pentameter or irregular meter
  • Metre: 1111110110 11010110111 0011111111 1111111100 0101010101 1101000101 1111110101 1111111111 0111110101 1111010011 1111110111 10010011111 1110110001 11010010001
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 595
  • Average number of words per stanza: 109
  • Amount of lines: 14
  • Average number of symbols per line: 42 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • 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 and is repeated.

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

  • summary of The Mock Self;
  • 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 Watson