This is an analysis of the poem Doctor Frolic that begins with:

Felicity the healer isn’t young
And you don’t look him up unless you need him. ...

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: XXab cdXd aefX fecX gfXb bgXc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 010001011 11111101111 11110111010 11010001010 11010010001 010111111010 101011111 1101011101 010110101010 010101001010 01101100100 010110100 1101010101 001110001010 1100010101 0100010011 111010111010 1110100101 1111110111 11111010101 1111011101 01010101010 0101111101 1100010001
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 179
  • Average number of words per stanza: 32
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 44 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same word the is repeated.

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

  • summary of Doctor Frolic;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Robert Pinsky