This is an analysis of the poem A Hasty Inference that begins with:

The Devil one day, coming up from the Pit,
All grimy with perspiration,... 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: abab cdcd efef agaX hXhX baba cgcX bXbX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 01011101001 11001010 01011011101 101011010 01110101001 1011010011 11101011001 010010111 11100101001 011111010 11111101001 110110010 11111001101 0010010110 111111010111 110010010 10101011001 010011110 11101101001 111110110 11111111011 110110110 11001101101 100111110 111111001101 1101101010 11001011001 010010110 101101101001 1111111010 11111101110 010011010
  • Amount of stanzas: 8
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 173
  • Average number of words per stanza: 33
  • Amount of lines: 32
  • Average number of symbols per line: 42 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; him, they, them, of, that, ' are repeated.

    The author used the same word the at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    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 A Hasty Inference;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Ambrose Bierce