This is an analysis of the poem The Silent Slain that begins with:

We too, we too, descending once again
The hills of our own land, we too have heard...

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: abXabcbcbaba
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 12,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 1111010101 0101111111 1111110110 010100010001 0101010101 1001111111 0111011101 0101000101 1101101111 11000101001 010101110101 0101
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 524
  • Average number of words per stanza: 97
  • Amount of lines: 12
  • Average number of symbols per line: 43 (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; we, of, too, and are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of The Silent Slain;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Archibald MacLeish