This is an analysis of the poem The Sailor's Sweetheart that begins with:

O if love were had for asking,
In the markets of the town,...

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: abXbaaCD XdadaaCD aeXeadXd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10101110 0010001 10011101 01101 1101110 1101110 11111011 010111 101011011 0010001 10001010 0101101 1101110 1101110 11111011 010111 10101110 110001 01110101 110101 11000101 010101 111110111 101101
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 231
  • Average number of words per stanza: 49
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 28 (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; by, for are repeated.

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

    The poet repeated the same word heart 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 The Sailor's Sweetheart;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Duncan Campbell Scott