This is an analysis of the poem The Good Intent that begins with:

They built her in the olden days,
They built her strong, they built her stout,...

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: abaX cdcd cece fXfe bbbXb gfgf hhhh aaaa ifif hXcXX cj fXfc jkjk XfXf ikik jhjX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,5,4,4,4,4,5,2,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 11000101 11011101 01010101 01101100 11111101 11110101 01010101 110100101 011110101 11011101 11010101 01010101 11111111 01010101 10010111 11011101 11001011 11110111 11011111 01010 001 11111101 01110101 01111101 01110101 01110111 11110101 01010111 11111111 01010111 01011101 01010011 11010100 01011110 11010111 01011110 011101 1 100 1111 110000 100 110011111 1110111 01001101 110011100 11011101 11010101 11110111 111101001 11111111 11111111 10111101 11011101 11110100 11010111 11011100 10011001 01011100 11010101 11111101 00111101 11111101 11011101
  • Amount of stanzas: 16
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 136
  • Average number of words per stanza: 25
  • Amount of lines: 67
  • Average number of symbols per line: 32 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    There are many three dots in the poem. Readers should think of the author's idea together with the pensive speaker.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; they, her, built, and, she are repeated.

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

    The author used the same words they, 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 The Good Intent;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Cicely Fox Smith