This is an analysis of the poem A Sudden Shower that begins with:

Barefooted boys scud up the street
Or skurry under sheltering sheds;... 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: abab cdcd ebeb fgfg bbbb egeg bhbh
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 100011101 110101001 11010111 10010111 11110101 010011101 11110101 01010101 11010101 01110101 01010101 11010001 01111101 01011111 10011100 01010101 01010101 11011101 11000101 01010111 01010101 01100101 11000101 01010101 01010101 11010111 01010111 01010111
  • Amount of stanzas: 7
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 141
  • Average number of words per stanza: 24
  • Amount of lines: 28
  • Average number of symbols per line: 34 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • 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 words the, and are repeated.

    The author used the same word the 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 A Sudden Shower;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by James Whitcomb Riley