Contemplating Hell by Bertolt Brecht: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem Contemplating Hell that begins with:

Contemplating Hell, as I once heard it,
My brother Shelley found it to be a place ...

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: abXbab Xcbbb cXXXdXXdabb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,5,11,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1010111110 11010100001 110100101 1111010101100 11010110 1010111100 1001 11110101110010 01011111001 1010011110010010101110 011011101 01101111101010 1011111101 10110010001 101010011111 1100111001010 1010100 100100111110 101011010001 0100100001011 1001000010
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 235
  • Average number of words per stanza: 40
  • Amount of lines: 21
  • Average number of symbols per line: 44 (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; with, of are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of Contemplating Hell;
  • 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

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