This is an analysis of the poem The Shepherd’s Brow, Fronting Forked Lightning, Owns that begins with:

The shepherd's brow, fronting forked lightning, owns
The horror and the havoc and the glory ... 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: abbaabXaccbccb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 14,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: sonnet with iambic pentameter or irregular meter
  • Metre: 0101101101 01010101010 001011110010010 0110001101 1111001101 11010101010 111101100010 110111101 1101111101 11000110101 11010101010 1111111101 1011111101 110111011010
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 668
  • Average number of words per stanza: 120
  • Amount of lines: 14
  • Average number of symbols per line: 47 (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; and is repeated.

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

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

  • summary of The Shepherd’s Brow, Fronting Forked Lightning, Owns;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins