Hum Bom! by Allen Ginsberg: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem Hum Bom! that begins with:

Whom bomb?
We bomb'd them!...

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: AAAAAAAA ABABABAB BABABABA BABABbBb ABABbAB AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAcca AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAA AAAAAAAA DDDD AAAA AAAA EXEXXEXE EXEX XXXX XXXX XE
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,8,7,16,9,16,4,8,4,4,4,8,4,4,4,2,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11 110 11 110 11 110 11 110 11 111 11 111 11 111 11 111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 11110 1111 11110 1111 11111 1111 11111 11 111 11 111 11111 11 111 101 110101 101 110101 101 110101 101 110101 111 111101 111 111101 111 111101 111 111101 1101 11101 1101 11101 1101 11101 1110 1110 11101 11001 110101001 11001 110101001 11001 110101001 11001 110101001 11001 11001 11001 11001 11001 11001 11001 11001 111101 111101 111101 111101 1011101 111101 1011101 111101 1011101 111101 1011101 111101 101111011 101111011 101111011 101111011 1011010001 1011010001 1011010001 1011010001 10111001 10111001 10111001 10111001 1010001 110110 1010001 110110 110110 1010101 110110 1010101 1010101 110110 1010101 110110 110110 110110 110110 110110 110110 110110 110110 110110 101110 1010001
  • Amount of stanzas: 18
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 147
  • Average number of words per stanza: 28
  • Amount of lines: 126
  • Average number of symbols per line: 20 (very short strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 4

  • Mood of the speaker:

    There are many exclamation marks in the poem. The speaker is excited. He or she has strong feelings on the subject that is described in the poem.

    The speaker asks many questions. Perhaps, he or she is in confusion.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; bomb, you, we, who, said, wanna, wanteda, they, thought, hadda, he, whatdid, say, better, for, get, ridda, saddam, with, saddam's, still, there, building, gog, magog are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words whom, who, we, they, whatdid, hadda, saddam's, gog, armageddon are repeated.

    The author used the same words whom, what, who, armageddon, gog at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines you, bomb, wanna, for, magog are repeated).

    The poet repeated the same words you, bomb, magog 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 Hum Bom!;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

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