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

A STRAIGHT old fossicker was Lanky Mann,
Who clung to that in spite of friends’ advising:... 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: abab cdcd efef ghgh cgcg didi ejej aXaj eXea
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 0111001101 11010101010 0111010001 11011100010 1111011111 01011111010 0111011101 01110001010 1101010111 100101110001 1101110111 11110111100 11111101111 01010101010 1111111101 01010101010 1111110101 11111101010 1101010001 11110101010 1101011101 110101010010 1101111101 11010101010 10111011101 1101111110010 11001110101 11010111110 1101011111 1111011101 01001010111 11110101010 1111011111 11010110100 1111101011 11010001010
  • Amount of stanzas: 9
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 182
  • Average number of words per stanza: 33
  • Amount of lines: 36
  • Average number of symbols per line: 45 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • 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 used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same word a is repeated.

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

  • summary of The Fossicker;
  • 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