This is an analysis of the poem A Duty Done - 1935 that begins with:

The swallows are back, and I'm tuning my lyre,
For today 'tis my duty to sing... 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: XabaAaacc aaXaAaaXc badaAaacc daXaAaacc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 9,9,9,9,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 01011101011 101111001 001001101001 010010001 101 11101001 1 1100011011 11001001011 011001101011 101101001 101001001011 101001101 101 101001011 1111 101001001110 11011001011 10100111001 101101001 001101111001 101011111 101 11111011 1 101001111011 101111101011 11001110001 101101011 111111001001 001101011 101 010011011 1 11101011001 101101001011
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 315
  • Average number of words per stanza: 61
  • Amount of lines: 36
  • Average number of symbols per line: 34 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    There are many exclamation marks in the poem. The speaker is excited. He or she has strong feelings on the subject that is described in the poem.

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

    The poet repeated the same word back 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 Duty Done - 1935;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis