The Copperhead (1864) by Francis Bret Harte: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem The Copperhead (1864) that begins with:

There is peace in the swamp where the Copperhead sleeps,
Where the waters are stagnant, the white vapor creeps,... 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: aabbccdd eeddffgg hhffiijj
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 101001101011 101011001101 101001011001 101010001001 101001101001 101001001011 1110100001001 101101101011 11111001101 101101001101 101011101011 010011010101 101011101011 101101011011 101111011111 101111001011 11111011111 01001001011 111001011001 001111101011 101001101001 101011001101 11011111001 01011001111
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 410
  • Average number of words per stanza: 75
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 50 (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; in, where, peace, though, to are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words where, though are repeated.

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

  • summary of The Copperhead (1864);
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

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