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

As I stand by the cross on the lone mountain's crest,
Looking over the ultimate sea,... 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: ababcbcb bbbbdXdb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 111101101101 101001001 001001001111 11101001 11011101101 01011101 11001101101 01101011 11001001101 010101011 111001101001 01001001 111001001111 010101101 11101001001 001101011
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 328
  • Average number of words per stanza: 65
  • Amount of lines: 16
  • Average number of symbols per line: 40 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

    The poet repeated the same word 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 The Two Ships;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Francis Bret Harte