This is an analysis of the poem Women Washing Their Hair that begins with:

They have painted and sung
the women washing their hair,...

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: ABcdXX cbdef cfbegXABg
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,5,9,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 111011 0101011 10111001 10101 10101001 1010101111 01100010 101101 11111110 11110010 111101111 01100010 001101 00111101 01010110 010011101 111011 0101011 10011101
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 156
  • Average number of words per stanza: 30
  • Amount of lines: 19
  • Average number of symbols per line: 32 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

    The author used the same word the at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

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

  • summary of Women Washing Their Hair;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Carl Sandburg