This is an analysis of the poem Heritage that begins with:

What is Africa to me:
Copper sun or scarlet sea,... 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: AabbccDDAA cceeffaaggggddhhhhii eeffeeggiigggaaggiijjaaiXiiggDDAA ffiiibbiikkhhllXXfXaa eehhiiXa iibbiimmbbiinnnnggeeeeddXnnddiiffdddd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 10,20,33,21,8,37,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1010001 1011101 1011101 1111101 1001111 1010101 1110001 0010101 1011001 1010001 1111111 1110101 1110101 1010101 1000111 1010101 1110101 1010101 1111111 1110111 1111101 1110101 1111101 1011111 0110111 0011101 1110101 1111101 1000101 1111111 100111 1001101 10000101 10010101 1000101 1010111 1010111 1010101 1111111 0010111 1011101 1010111 1110011 1010111 1110001 1110101 1100001 1110111 1010111 1010100 1011101 1011101 111001 1010101 101011100 1110101 1011101 1010011 1010001 1110001 0010101 1011001 1010001 1111111 1111101 0010001 1110101 1011101 1111111 1010101 1111101 1010111 1110111 1010101 1011101 1110101 1011111 1010101 1010101 11101010 1010100 111010100 0110101 1111111 1010101 1110101 1110101 0010111 1010111 1010101 1000100 1011101 1011101 1111101 1000111 1011111 0111011 1110101 10111010 11111110 1011101 1010111 10001010 11111010 1010111 1110101 1110111 1010011 1010101 1010101 10101111 10101110 1110101 01011101 1011011 0110101 1111111 1110111 1111111 1110001 1010101 1011111 101011 1010101 1010101 1111111 0011101 1111101
  • Amount of stanzas: 7
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 554
  • Average number of words per stanza: 102
  • Amount of lines: 128
  • 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; or, my, it are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same word lest is repeated.

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines it is repeated).

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

  • summary of Heritage;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Countee Cullen