This is an analysis of the poem Brown Of Ossawatomie that begins with:

John Brown of Ossawatomie spake on his dying day:
'I will not have to shrive my soul a priest in Slavery's pay.... 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: aaaX aabb cccc bbXX ddee aaff
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 1101000110101 101101110101001 11111101111001 001000101110111 1101000111101 11011100010111 101111101011111 111010101110101 01100101110101 11110101010101 11010101010001 110101010101001 1001010111100 11010010010101 101011101011101 1010010101010101 10111110010101 11010101110101 11011101110101 01110111110111 11010101010001 01010101010101 111010101111101 110011101110101
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 245
  • Average number of words per stanza: 45
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 60 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 11
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and, she are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same word not is repeated.

    The author used the same word john 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 Brown Of Ossawatomie;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by John Greenleaf Whittier