This is an analysis of the poem If God Is A Dog that begins with:

If God is a dog drowsing,
contemplating...

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: XaXbXX cXdeXXaXaXXffgfc hXgb Xhged
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,16,4,5,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 0100110 1010 01010100 00101001 111111 010 1111 11100 1111 110101 0111000 111101 010 010101 11011010 10101 110110 01111 1000101 100 1111 11001 1101110 1111101 11010 0101 110 101011 1 011 01
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 156
  • Average number of words per stanza: 29
  • Amount of lines: 31
  • Average number of symbols per line: 19 (very short strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 4
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

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

  • summary of If God Is A Dog;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Erica Jong