This is an analysis of the poem The Torments Of Conscience that begins with:

We live, dying is not our business,
shame is another lost episode, ...

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: abab caXd defe bgbX cXcX agaX hihf ajaj cbXb XiXc kfka XX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,2,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 111001110 100101101 1110101010 010110011 101010110 011010111 0101111100 0110101010 011110011 101011011 10111010 110011111 1001111110 01100110 10011101110 01100100001 101101110 1010010011 01111100010 01111001111 01010010101 111101001010 1101000100 10011010101 1101001011 100110111 11010100 10010100011 11001000010 1010110101 11101010010 1011010111 100011111 110101111 01010111111 110101001 11101001010 010001010101 101001111101 011110110010 1101001011 1110111 11011111 11010111 1 01011010001100100
  • Amount of stanzas: 12
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 153
  • Average number of words per stanza: 27
  • Amount of lines: 47
  • 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, they, of, in are repeated.

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

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

    The poet repeated the same word ' at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

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

  • summary of The Torments Of Conscience;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Yevgeny Yevtushenko