This is an analysis of the poem The Little Chap that begins with:

DO you know why men dig ditches
And why others till the soil? ...

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: ababcdcd efEfbdbD babaXdcD edEDcdXD
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11111110 1110101 11111110 1111101 00111110 1010101 11101010 1010111 11111110 1010111 00111110 1011101 10101110 1010111 10101010 0010111 11101010 1110111 10111010 1110011 11101010 1110101 100001010 1010111 11111110 1110111 00111110 1010111 10110010 1010111 00100101 0010111
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 252
  • Average number of words per stanza: 48
  • Amount of lines: 32
  • 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:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; why, for, of, their are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words back, men are repeated.

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

    The poet repeated the same word you 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 Little Chap;
  • 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