This is an analysis of the poem Bethlehem-Town that begins with:

As I was going to Bethlehem-town,
Upon the earth I cast me down... 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: aabbcX aaddbbcX aaXXbbcX aaddbbcbXaaaabcb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,8,8,16,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1111001011 01011111 11010101 11000101 11111100 11110101 111101011 11010101 11111101 11011101 11011101 11110001 11101100 11010111 111101011 11111101 110111101 0111010 11111001 11010101 11011100 11100111 100101011 01111101 11010101 01111111 10010101 110110001 11101100 11010111 011101011 11111101 11110101 11011011 11110101 111001100 11100111
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 248
  • Average number of words per stanza: 49
  • Amount of lines: 37
  • Average number of symbols per line: 33 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

    The author used the same word as at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    The poet repeated the same words ', me 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 Bethlehem-Town;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Eugene Field