This is an analysis of the poem For A Child Expected that begins with:

Lovers whose lifted hands are candles in winter,
Whose gentle ways like streams in the easy summer,...

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: aaabcbb dddeee fgfhii jjjiii ggghhh ecaakkddcc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 7,6,6,6,6,10,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 101101110010 110111001010 10010 110100011111 101111001011 0101 11110111 1011000101001 0101011001001 01000101 0100100011001 1100111101 110110 1101000101011 01010101100 00101001 10110101111 101011111011 1101011 01101101111 101011000101 11111 100110101001 101011100101 1110011 101001011010010 110010111010 1101100 111101110001 00101001101 0101 11011111 11000101 111001010 1010010 01011011 111101101 11010111 10110101 11100110 10111001
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 264
  • Average number of words per stanza: 50
  • Amount of lines: 41
  • Average number of symbols per line: 38 (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; its, to, we, of, in are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of For A Child Expected;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Anne Barbara Ridler