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

I looked in the brook and saw a face -
Heigh-ho, but a child was I!... 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: ababbbbbbX aBabbbbbbXXBb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 10,13,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 110011101 1110111 1010111011 11110110111 101010111 101110101 11011101 10001 001001 101001001010 110011101 1110011 0101100111 10111110111 1010100101 110010101 10011101 10101 00101 101001001010 1110011 110110101
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 264
  • Average number of words per stanza: 56
  • Amount of lines: 22
  • Average number of symbols per line: 35 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • 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; brook, and, it are repeated.

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

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

    The poet repeated the same word sky 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 The Brook;
  • 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