This is an analysis of the poem Christmas Eve that begins with:

BACK UP Old Age and Wrinkled Face,
Come, Selfish Grown-Up, quit the place,...

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: aabccbdd eefggfee hhciiccc jjaiiacc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11111101 11011101 110001 11011101 10111101 110111 11010101 11110111 11010111 11010101 111101 11111111 11001111 100101 11111111 11010101 101011111 10010101 111101 11110001 11111111 110111 11001101 01111001 10111101 101110101 111111 01011111 101010001 110111 01010101 10111101
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 270
  • Average number of words per stanza: 50
  • Amount of lines: 32
  • Average number of symbols per line: 33 (medium-length strings)
  • 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; for, and are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of Christmas Eve;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Edgar Albert Guest