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

Come away! come away! there’s a frost along the marshes,
And a frozen wind that skims the shoal where it shakes the dead black water;... 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: abcdecXa fXdX dbcadada dedX dfebbXXX dXaX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,4,8,4,8,4,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 101101100101010 10101110110101110 10010101110101011 00111011100101111 10101110110101010 11010100011111 10101010100111010 001010101010101 100110111101010 10101001111 1010101010111011 10111101010 10110110111011 1101010110111010 1010101110100011 1111010110101010 0111110111111011 101110101111100 1001110111101111 001001101010101 100110110101011 10101011111 10101010100101011 1011111100 10110110101011 1111010100101010 1111111110111010 11101010011101110 1101110110111010 101011111011111 0111011100101010 101110100011111 100110111111011 10111100111 111111000101010 101111010
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 378
  • Average number of words per stanza: 76
  • Amount of lines: 36
  • Average number of symbols per line: 62 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 13
  • Mood of the speaker:

    There are many exclamation marks in the poem. The speaker is excited. He or she has strong feelings on the subject that is described in the poem.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; that, of, calling, come, us, to, away, and, for, there, him, we are repeated.

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

    The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The word/phrase calling connects the lines.

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

  • summary of The Wilderness;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Edwin Arlington Robinson