This is an analysis of the poem Grandpa's Christmas that begins with:

In his great cushioned chair by the fender
An old man sits dreaming to-night,... 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: ababcdXd efXfdgXg Xbdbadad hihihXhg jdjcjkjk lmlmiiii jgjglili jbjbkiki imimikik jkjkakaX eiXikfkX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,8,8,8,8,8,8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 0011011010 11111001 010111010 11001101 110011110 01111101 110110100 11011 111010011 11101001 110111110 001101001 111010110 101111101 0011011100 001100 1111011100 001011001 1010111010 111101011 1010011010 11011001 0010110110 01101 010010010 11011101 100010010 110011101 110110110 10101111 1110011010 01001 011110010 001011000 111010110 111101101 1011010110 101111001 1010110110 01101 010010111 11101101 111010111 001011001 1010010010 11001101 101111110 101101 011110110 11001101 111110010 1111101 110011010 11101101 011011010 11111 111110110 11001101 110011010 111011001 111010010 11011111 110010010 11101 011110010 11001011 1010011110 111101001 0011011010 01101101 1111011110 101010 111000110 111011001 11100110110 01011011 1110011010 1111110 111111010 11111 010100011 111011011 110111110 111111101 010111010 01011111 111110010 01001
  • Amount of stanzas: 11
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 291
  • Average number of words per stanza: 55
  • Amount of lines: 98
  • Average number of symbols per line: 32 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; he, and, to are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words he, in, of, and, the are repeated.

    The author used the same words he, again at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    The poet repeated the same word ' at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

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

  • summary of Grandpa's Christmas;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Ella Wheeler Wilcox