This is an analysis of the poem At The Sound Of The Drum that begins with:

ARE you going for a soldier with your curly yellow hair,
And a scarlet coat instead of the smock you used to wear? ... 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: aabB ccbb bbbB ddbb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 111010100110101 10101010011101 111001011110101 111010101 111010101110001 1010010101110101 10101011111101 101010101 101010101111101 01010101010101 11110101110101 111010101 111010100110101 111010110010101 101011101010101 101010101
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 213
  • Average number of words per stanza: 43
  • Amount of lines: 19
  • Average number of symbols per line: 44 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 9
  • Mood of the speaker:

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

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; you, going, to, and, for, soldier are repeated.

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

    The poet repeated the same word now 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 At The Sound Of The Drum;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Edith Nesbit