This is an analysis of the poem A Dead Baby that begins with:

LITTLE soul, for such brief space that entered
In this little body straight and chilly, ... 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: ababcc daaaeX eeXeff badaggXfdbddd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,6,13,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1011111110 0010101110 1011101010 1010101010 1010011110 1011101010 101111010 1011101110 1011111110 0010101110 1110101010 1110111100 0011101111 1010111110 1000111111 1000111010 1111011010 11100101010 1111101110 1010111010 1111111010 1111101010 1110101011 0110101111 1010111010 1110100110 0110111110 1010101110 1010101010 1111111010
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 257
  • Average number of words per stanza: 45
  • Amount of lines: 30
  • Average number of symbols per line: 42 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The speaker asks many questions. Perhaps, he or she is in confusion.

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

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

    The author used the same word little at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

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

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

  • summary of A Dead Baby;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik