This is an analysis of the poem The Criminal War that begins with:

I am shocked beyond words!
(Said the statesman. 'Tis crime... 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: ababXb cdcdXd efeff dgdgXg hghgXg ibibXb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,5,6,6,6,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 111011 101011 101001 111101 1010010110 01000101 111111 111111 111001 101011 111110100 101001011 110001 101001 111011 101111 010111101001001011 111011 101001 111011 110111 111110010 01001001 001101 1110011 111111 111111 1010011010 01111011 101001 111101 111001 111011 011010010 11001011
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 173
  • Average number of words per stanza: 33
  • Amount of lines: 35
  • Average number of symbols per line: 29 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • 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; my, we are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words there, my, we are repeated.

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

  • summary of The Criminal War;
  • 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