Speaker or Narrator, and Point of View
The poem is told from a first-person point of view. The speaker of the poem is the mythical figure Orpheus.
Form and Meter
The poem is written in six tercets with an ABAABA rhyme scheme. Structurally, it mirrors itself, meaning that the second three stanzas are the lines from the first half in reverse order.
Metaphors and Similes
The speaker compares the moment he loses Eurydice each morning to a "rift" or "hollow."
Alliteration and Assonance
There is assonance in the A sounds of the line: "Again and again, this constant forsaking."
Irony
N/A
Genre
Mythic poetry, mirror poetry
Setting
The poem takes place in an unspecified location, as Orpheus is caught between sleeping and waking up.
Tone
Somber and regretful
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist of the poem is Orpheus. The antagonist is his own painful memories, in which he feels trapped
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the poem is Orpheus's desire to save Eurydice even though he has already failed her.
Climax
The climax of the poem occurs when Orpheus wakes up and finds Eurydice is not there.
Foreshadowing
N/A
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
The poem alludes to the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
Hyperbole
N/A
Onomatopoeia
N/A
