This is an analysis of the poem Swing Shift Blues that begins with:

What is better than leaving a bar
in the middle of the afternoon...

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: abcdXXXecXccaecXabXXdaa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 23,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 101011001 001000101 01100011 1010000011 011101010000 011110001 10011111 11111011 0111111 111110110 11011101 101110101 010110101 1010110101 001101 11011101001 10001001 1110100 011001010 111011111 111010011 0110000101 11110111
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 812
  • Average number of words per stanza: 164
  • Amount of lines: 23
  • Average number of symbols per line: 34 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines work is repeated).

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

  • summary of Swing Shift Blues;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Alan Dugan