This is an analysis of the poem Child Development that begins with:

As sure as prehistoric fish grew legs
and sauntered off the beaches into forests...

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: abcde fXcdaXXeX bbXbeb XaabfXXXX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 5,9,6,9,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1111010111 110010100010 10110100111 11010111110 10010110 1001011011010 0010111100 1110011101 0101001011 1101101101 1010 101010110101 001110101110 0101110001001 1111101101 1101000100010 1110111111 101011001010 1001011010 0101010110011 0011110010 1111010101 101011110 11101101 1011100101001 10010010 1110111010 11110100 11101110100
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 299
  • Average number of words per stanza: 51
  • Amount of lines: 29
  • Average number of symbols per line: 40 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; you is repeated.

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

  • summary of Child Development;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Billy Collins