This is an analysis of the poem Defence Of Fort Mchenry (Stars And Stripes Forever) that begins with:

O! say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming,... 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: ababccdD eXeXffdD cgcgdddD hghgaXdD
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: shakespearean sonnet
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11111101101 1110111010110 111111101001 10011110110010 101011011001 11101111111 11111101011 1001001101001 101101101001 1011010110100 1011011001001 1010011011010 101001001011 011001011101 101101011101 1001001101001 11011111001 1010011010010 01101011111 111111111010 11011010011 001001101001 101101001011 1001001101001 11001011011 011111011010 101011101101 10101111011010 11011111001 100110110111 101101001011 1001001101001
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 425
  • Average number of words per stanza: 80
  • Amount of lines: 32
  • Average number of symbols per line: 52 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 10
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

    The poet repeated the same word brave 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 Defence Of Fort Mchenry (Stars And Stripes Forever);
  • 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 Scott Key