This is an analysis of the poem Duty that begins with:

To do your little bit of toil,
To play life's game with head erect; ...

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 bcbcaa dedeff
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,6,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 01110101 01110101 01010111 11011101 01111111 11010001 01010101 01110101 011100101 11110101 01110101 10010101 01010101 11010011 11001111 11100101 11111101 100110011
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 203
  • Average number of words per stanza: 40
  • Amount of lines: 18
  • Average number of symbols per line: 33 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

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

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

  • summary of Duty;
  • 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