This is an analysis of the poem Tommy Corrigan that begins with:

You talk of riders on the flat, of nerve and pluck and pace --
Not one in fifty has the nerve to ride a steeplechase. ... 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: aabbccddXeaa ffggee aaggee hhiijj
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 12,6,6,6,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 11010101011111 11010101010101 01011101111101 01010001110101 11010111010111 110011111011101 11011101011101 01110101111101 110011011101000 11011111110101 01011101111101 11010101110101 11010101110101 1111010101100101 11010101110111 1101010011101001 11110111110101 01010100110111 100101001011101 01010101110101 11111111110111 1010101000110111 110011100111101 01110100110111 111101001110111 11110101111101 11010101110101 110001101110111 111101111010111 01010100011101
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 465
  • Average number of words per stanza: 85
  • Amount of lines: 30
  • Average number of symbols per line: 61 (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, to, he are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words when, he are repeated.

    The poet repeated the same word hand 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 Tommy Corrigan;
  • 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