This is an analysis of the poem The Ballad Of Father Gilligan that begins with:

The old priest Peter Gilligan
Was weary night and day... 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: Abcb deXe XbeX dfcf ghhh fdAd hXfd hadX hXAg hXAh chah cdcX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 01110100 110111 11010011 110111 11110001 10110001 01011111 110101 11111111 110111 11011101 110111 11110101 111101 101101001 110101 11000101 111001 11100101 110011 01010101 101111 01110100 101101 10100111 111001 11011001 110101 11111101 110111 01111001 101110 10011111 1111010 01110100 011011 11011111 110101 01110100 111111 11110101 1111011 11001101 011011 11010101 010001 11010101 010101
  • Amount of stanzas: 12
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 119
  • Average number of words per stanza: 25
  • Amount of lines: 48
  • Average number of symbols per line: 29 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • 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 he, and are repeated.

    The author used the same word 'he 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 The Ballad Of Father Gilligan;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by William Butler Yeats