This is an analysis of the poem Barbara Allen's Cruelty that begins with:

IN Scarlet town, where I was born,
   There was a fair maid dwellin', ...

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: aXba bXba aXXX XXbX XXbX bXcX dXdX XXXX cebe dadX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 01011111 1101110 110011101 11110010 10010101 1111010 110110111 11010010 11010001 10111110 111101101 111010010 11010111 1101111 11110101 111111 101111110101 1011110010 1010111100 11110010 110111111 10111010 111011111 11010010 11011001 1110110 10011111 101010010 111101001 1101110 110010111 11010010 11010111 1101110 11111101 1111010 100111101 1101110 11110101 11010010
  • Amount of stanzas: 10
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 173
  • Average number of words per stanza: 27
  • Amount of lines: 40
  • Average number of symbols per line: 43 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • 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; to, slowly, she, ye are repeated.

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

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

    The poet repeated the same words allen, ' 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 Barbara Allen's Cruelty;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

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