This is an analysis of the poem A Thermometrical Ballade that begins with:

There’s a wind up that licks like a flame,
And the sun is a porthole of hell.... 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: ababbcbC ababXcXC ababbcbc Xbcbc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,5,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 1001111101 101001001 110011001 101001101 010011001 111011001 111011001 011011001 111001011 1111001111 101011001 1011101001 110111100 101111101 011001100 011011001 101111001 001011001 101101001 111011110 101101001 111001101 00101101 011011001 10 111001001 101001111 101101101 011011001
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 268
  • Average number of words per stanza: 52
  • Amount of lines: 29
  • Average number of symbols per line: 36 (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; and is repeated.

    The poet repeated the same word shade 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 A Thermometrical Ballade;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Edward George Dyson