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

Twelve years old and lovesick, bumbling
and terrified for the first time in my life,...

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: aXbcdefghhbdiegdhfXjecjicghab
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 29,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: shakespearean sonnet
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1011100100 11011011011 11010111 1000111001 1111001111 100011110101 00110010100 11110011 01010111011 01000010010 101101001 101101001 1010101001 11111010101 010111011 111001101010 111101101 100010100 101011001 000101000010 01010100001 100010011101 1101001011100 10101001011 001010101 101101001010 1011011010 0110111110 110110011
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 1173
  • Average number of words per stanza: 210
  • Amount of lines: 29
  • Average number of symbols per line: 39 (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, of are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of The Skokie Theater;
  • 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 Hirsch