This is an analysis of the poem My Heart that begins with:

List I to the hurried beatings
Of my heart;... 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: XaXa bcbc caca cccc dada eaea XfXf gfgf gaga XgXg
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: enclosed rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11001010 011 10101100 111 10111010 111 11101010 101 11111110 101 01100110 1001 10111010 111 10111010 101 11111110 001 11111010 011 11101110 101 11101110 101 10100100 101 10111010 0101 10101111 011 01111011 1101 11111011 011 10101111 11 10101100 101 00101110 111
  • Amount of stanzas: 10
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 97
  • Average number of words per stanza: 18
  • Amount of lines: 40
  • Average number of symbols per line: 24 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 5
  • 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 speaker asks many questions. Perhaps, he or she is in confusion.

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

  • summary of My Heart;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper