This is an analysis of the poem Gloucester Harbor that begins with:

One shadow glides from the dumb shore,
And one from every silent sail.... 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 XXcX Xdcd XXXd eded fgfg XdXd fgXg
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 11110011 110100101 110010101 011111 110001001 11010101 01010101 010101 01110111 11111111 10101101 01101 01010101 10111100 01110101 011101 10110101 11010101 01010111 011101 11011101 01111111 11011101 110101 11011111 10110111 01010111 111101 01000101 01010101 110100101 010101
  • Amount of stanzas: 8
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 132
  • Average number of words per stanza: 25
  • Amount of lines: 39
  • Average number of symbols per line: 26 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 5
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; one is repeated.

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

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

  • summary of Gloucester Harbor;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward