The Ermine by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward: poem analysis

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

I read of the ermine to-day,
Of the ermine who will not step... 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: aXbcd XaeXe fcaea cagXg Xabfd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 5,5,5,5,5,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 11001001 00101011 1010010010 0101011 01001110 00110101 11011101 01001101 10110110 01011001 11001111 1100101 00101101 11010001 11110111 0101101 1110111 1100110 1111010 1101101 101101011 1011001 101110010 1101101 01001010
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 161
  • Average number of words per stanza: 34
  • Amount of lines: 29
  • Average number of symbols per line: 27 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 6

  • 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; of, to are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of The Ermine;
  • 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

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