This is an analysis of the poem The People's Anthem that begins with:

When wilt Thou save the people?
O God of mercy! when? ... 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: aBcBdddA efefccXA aBaBgggA
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1111010 110101 1111110 1101111 100111111 10111101 11000101 11010 1111110 110101 0010110 111111 11110111 11011101 11010101 11010 1111010 110101 0101010 1101111 11010111 11011101 10010101 11010
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 254
  • Average number of words per stanza: 47
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 31 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    There are many exclamation marks in the poem. The speaker is excited. He or she has strong feelings on the subject that is described in the poem.

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

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; ', people, save are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same word not is repeated.

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

    The poet repeated the same word people 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 People's Anthem;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Ebenezer Elliott