To The Diaspora by Gwendolyn Brooks: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem To The Diaspora that begins with:

you did not know you were Afrika
When you set out for Afrika...

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: X XXaXbbX cdEabEX XeXX dXXXc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 1,7,7,4,5,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 101110100 11111100 10111010 01 101110100 101101100 11001 11 1111111111 11 111001 11010010 0101100 111001 11110111 1111101111 00111001 1011001001 11111111010011 10111 1100010101 1111010100010 0001001100010 11111001001001
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 160
  • Average number of words per stanza: 30
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 33 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 6

  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines afrika is repeated).

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

  • summary of To The Diaspora;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Gwendolyn Brooks

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