This is an analysis of the poem The Old Wooden Cradle that begins with:

Good-bye to the cradle, the dear wooden cradle
The rude hand of Progress has thrust it aside.... 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: Abcb dbeb Afdf ebeb agdgXcgdg
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,9,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 010010011010 01101111001 110010111010 11101001001 111010011010 11101011011 110110010110 01001001001 010010011010 01001101101 111010111110 11101001011 111010110010 11001011001 111110110110 11001001001 010010011010 01001111011 111010010110 01101111101 110010111010 11001101001 111110111010 01101001001
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 195
  • Average number of words per stanza: 36
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 48 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 9
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

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

  • summary of The Old Wooden Cradle;
  • 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