This is an analysis of the poem A Challenge To The Dark that begins with:

shot in the eye
shot in the brain ...

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: XaXX ab cc XXb dd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,2,2,3,2,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 1001 1001 100 11010001 01011111 01011100100100101 0101101011 010110001010 11101111111 111011101 1101011111110111 11111 11111
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 93
  • Average number of words per stanza: 18
  • Amount of lines: 13
  • Average number of symbols per line: 35 (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; shot, in, amazing, how, i, my, must are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words shot, amazing, i, my are repeated.

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

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines death is repeated).

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

  • summary of A Challenge To The Dark;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Charles Bukowski