This is an analysis of the poem Hell's Gate that begins with:

Onward led the road again
Through the sad uncoloured plain... 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: aabbccddeefX gXeehhaX ggaaaacchhijaabbddijkkii ggeeffhhccaahhgggghh ccaabbiikkhhffcciihhee ffhhaaggXgghhjjeecc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 12,8,24,20,22,19,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1010101 10110001 1011101 1010111 11101001 1011101 1010101 11010101 1110101 1011111 1010101 1000101 1110111 0010100 1010101 0111101 101011 1110101 1110101 1110011 1010101 1010101 1000101 1010101 1011101 1010101 1010101 1011101 10010111 1010111 001001010 10101010 1010101 1010101 0010101 1010101 1110101 1110011 1110001 00100010 1011111 1010111 1000101 1010101 1010111 1010101 1111101 1010101 1010101 010001 1001101 1010101 1000101 10110001 10111000 0011111 1010111 0110111 1010101 1010111 1011101 1011111 1010101 1111111 1111101 1010101 1010001 1010101 1010101 1011101 1010101 1010001 1010101 1110101 1010101 1000101 10011001 0010001 1011111 1011101 1010001 1010101 1010101 1010001 1010101 1010101 1010001 1010101 1010101 1010101 1001101 1010101 1010101 1111111 1010101 1010101 1010101 0010111 10101010 10101010 1000101 1110111 1010111 1111101
  • Amount of stanzas: 7
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 432
  • Average number of words per stanza: 80
  • Amount of lines: 104
  • Average number of symbols per line: 28 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 5
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

    The poet repeated the same word ' at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

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

  • summary of Hell's Gate;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Alfred Edward Housman