This is an analysis of the poem A Dirge that begins with:

Why were you born when the snow was falling?
You should have come to the cuckoo's calling ... full text

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: aabbaa aaccaa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1011101110 1111001010 111110010 111111010 111110 01010 1011101010 1111101010 101101010 101111010 111110 11110
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 223
  • Average number of words per stanza: 40
  • Amount of lines: 13
  • Average number of symbols per line: 34 (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; when is repeated.

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

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

    The poet repeated the same word dying at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Christina Georgina Rossetti