This is an analysis of the poem The Welsh Marches that begins with:

High the vanes of Shrewsbury gleam
Islanded in Severn stream; ... 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: aabb bbcc ddee ffgg hhii ddbX bbjj kkff ddll
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10101101 1000101 01000101 1010111 010101001 1010101 01011101 1010101 1010101 1110101 1010101 01010101 11010101 1000101 1010101 11011101 01010101 1010101 1010101 11010101 0110111 01111101 11110111 1010011 10100101 1010111 11111101 1111101 1011101 01111101 1010101 10011101 1110111 0011100 11111111 1011101
  • Amount of stanzas: 9
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 133
  • Average number of words per stanza: 25
  • Amount of lines: 36
  • Average number of symbols per line: 33 (medium-length strings)
  • 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; of, and are repeated.

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

  • summary of The Welsh Marches;
  • 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