This is an analysis of the poem A Ballad Sent To King Richard that begins with:

Sometime this world was so steadfast and stable,
That man's word was held obligation;... 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: abXbbXC ababbXC abXbbcC X XbXbXcc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 7,7,7,1,7,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11011111110 111111010 1100111100 111110010 010111111 0101111100 1101110110 11010011000 111110010 11010101010 101111010 101011010 1100110100 1101110110 10111001010 101111010 101111010 110001010 01111010 0101010100 1101110110 10 1101000100 101111010 1010110100 010110110 110101000 1111110100 1111010110
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 223
  • Average number of words per stanza: 39
  • Amount of lines: 29
  • Average number of symbols per line: 38 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and is repeated.

    The poet repeated the same word steadfastness 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 A Ballad Sent To King Richard;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Geoffrey Chaucer