This is an analysis of the poem Tortoise Shell that begins with:

The Cross, the Cross
Goes deeper in than we know,... 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: abXXcaXdd dd cde CCCc fAge cdX dXdc fehaXbe aghi caXa gAciggXcc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 9,2,3,4,4,3,4,7,4,4,9,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 0101 1100111 10001 100010 1101 0101001010 0111011101 110101010 101 110101 101111 111011101 11010101101 0100010101 11011 11011 11011 110110101011 01010000111001010101 001010 10100010101010010 101101011110110110101 011010100100 101100110 101001010101001 111 111110 10110100 010001010100010 11101 0101010 11011011011010 0110001001000101 1110111 111101111101 0111010 01 0111101011 10111010 10111010 1111010101 1111101010011 11011111001 111111001011010 01101110101 001010 101100101000101 0101011000011010010 101 10110100 01010100 01010 011
  • Amount of stanzas: 11
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 177
  • Average number of words per stanza: 31
  • Amount of lines: 53
  • Average number of symbols per line: 36 (medium-length strings)
  • 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; and, five, life, in, side, on, through, four, of, this are repeated.

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

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

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by David Herbert Lawrence