This is an analysis of the poem The Maids Of The Northern Lights that begins with:

In the hidden lands of utter cold, in the ice-realms weird and white,
Where straight o'erhead the Pole-star hangs, in the cold sky burning bright,...

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: aaa bbb ccc ddd bbb eeeXbbb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 3,3,3,3,3,7,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 0010101010011111 1110001110011101 010100101110101 10111101010111 01010101111111 01001101000010101 11011101110101 011111111110101 110100111110101 1101001001011111 0111101011011111 10110001110011 110100011010111 100101011011111 111011101011111 110111111011101 101011111100101 1010111101011001 1001001011011011 010111111100111 10010101110101
  • Amount of stanzas: 7
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 202
  • Average number of words per stanza: 39
  • Amount of lines: 21
  • Average number of symbols per line: 67 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 13
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

    The author used the same word they 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 Maids Of The Northern Lights;
  • 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