This is an analysis of the poem In The Moonlight that begins with:

The moon is bright, and the winds are laid, and the river is roaring by;
Orion swings, with his belted lights low down in the western sky; ... 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: aabBaa ccaaaa bbaaaa bbbbaaXaabBaa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,6,13,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 01011011110100101 0101001011100101 1110010100100101 10101101111011101 101001010100101001 11100111011110101 10111001010010101 1010101010010101 010101111010101 1011110101111111 1101011010100100101 110100100111011111 1010111111011111 01011010100111100 111010010110101111 101111011110100111 11001010100101001 111001001111011111 01011101011010101 010010010100110111 0101110111101001001 1101001110010101 11001010110101101 101001110010011111 01111010110100101 1100101010110111 1110010100100101 10101101111011101 1010010101110111 1111110010011111
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 449
  • Average number of words per stanza: 91
  • Amount of lines: 30
  • Average number of symbols per line: 74 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 15
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and, to, from, of, as, bright are repeated.

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

    The author used the same words where, the at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    The poet repeated the same word me 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 In The Moonlight;
  • 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 McKee Wright