This is an analysis of the poem Four Years that begins with:

At the Midsummer, when the hay was down,
Said I mournful - Though my life be in its prime,... 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: AbbaaAccaaAddaaaXXaa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 20,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 1011010111 11101110001 11111110111 101111011101 000111010101 1011010111 11101011101 00111010001 111111100101 110111010111 1011010111 11010110011 110101110001 1101111101001 010111010111 0011010101 1001011101 101101110101 10011111111 111111010101
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 971
  • Average number of words per stanza: 187
  • Amount of lines: 20
  • Average number of symbols per line: 48 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 9
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

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

    The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The word/phrase hair connects the lines.

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

  • summary of Four Years;
  • 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