This is an analysis of the poem Our Fear that begins with:

Our fear
does not wear a night shirt ...

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: abcXX d AdbXb AbdX ebXcc AXfcb cfbX eX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 5,1,5,4,5,5,4,2,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11 111011 11111 1110101 11010010 111011110 11 001010 10010 11 01110101 11 1111010010 11110110 00101 0101 0010101 0110 010 11 11 111010011 0111001 11001110 1100110 111 0111 1011 1100 111 1110
  • Amount of stanzas: 8
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 85
  • Average number of words per stanza: 18
  • Amount of lines: 36
  • Average number of symbols per line: 18 (very short strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 4
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; not is repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words does, not are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of Our Fear;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Zbigniew Herbert