This is an analysis of the poem A Worker Reads History that begins with:

Who built the seven gates of Thebes?
The books are filled with names of kings....

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: aabcaddeeXcba XbafdaXe fXbXXaa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 13,8,7,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11010101 01110101 100111010101 1101110101 110101110101010 1101000111110 001010011110 10010101001 01010101101101 0010100100101 0101010011000100010 010110 0101110111 1101010100 101 10101 11110010010 10011101 11101011101 1000110001001 11001 110100 110101001 10010011 11010 1100100 11010
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 261
  • Average number of words per stanza: 48
  • Amount of lines: 27
  • Average number of symbols per line: 38 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The speaker asks many questions. Perhaps, he or she is in confusion.

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

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

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

  • summary of A Worker Reads History;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Bertolt Brecht