This is an analysis of the poem Shearing At Castlereagh that begins with:

The bell is set a-ringing, and the engine gives a toot,
There's five and thirty shearers here are shearing for the loot,... 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: aabbcX ddeecX ffggcX hhiicX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,6,6,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 01010101010101 11110101110101 11101101110101 01001100010101 11110111110101 01000111010100 01110101010101 11000101111101 11010101110101 11010101010001 01011101010111 11010101011100 01110101010001 11100101111001 11010101110101 11101101010101 01010101111101 01011101011100 01010101010101 11010101110001 01010101110101 11110101010101 11010101111101 01010101010100
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 360
  • Average number of words per stanza: 67
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 59 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 11
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and, you, in, to are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same word you is 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 castlereagh 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 Shearing At Castlereagh;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Banjo Paterson