The Happy Dead by Cicely Fox Smith: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem The Happy Dead that begins with:

Happy the dead on some resounding field, -
Dead with the joy of battle in their hearts, -...

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: aXXbcX aXXXbc ddaXaX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,6,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 1001110101 1001010011 1001010101 1111100101 1101011111 1101010111 10011111001 1101110001 1101111111 1111010101 0101010101 1001111101 1001110101 10101010101 1101010111 1011010101 1011010101 0101010100
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 267
  • Average number of words per stanza: 49
  • Amount of lines: 18
  • Average number of symbols per line: 44 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 8

  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; dead, with are repeated.

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

    The author used the same word happy 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 Happy Dead;
  • 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

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