This is an analysis of What Is Life? by John Clare.

And what is Life? An hour-glass on the run,
A mist retreating from the morning sun,…

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Structure

  • Rhyme scheme: aabXbX aacac Xdede cXcXfcfc
  • Stanza lengths: 6,5,5,8,
  • Metre: 11011101101 0101000101 01010010101 0101010101 1100010101 1001010101 1101010101 1001010101 1111000111 0111010001 1111010101 1101010110 11010010101 01110010101 1111010001 1111110101 1101110001 01000100100 1101111101 1101000100 1101011101 0110010101 1100110101 0111010001
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Stanzas: 4
  • Lines: 24

Repeated words/phrases

of, and, to

Anaphora

a