This is an analysis of the poem The Shadow-Child that begins with:
Why do the wheels go whirring round,
Mother, mother? ... 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: aBabaBab cBcbcBcb dBdBdBdB eBebeBeb dBdbdBdbXcBcbcBcb
- Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,8,17,
- Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
- Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
- Сlosest stanza type: tercets
- Guessed form: ballad stanza
- Metre: 11011101 1010 11011101 1011010 110010101 101010 01010101 1101010 11110111 1010 11110111 1111010 11110111 101010 11110101 1101110 11011001 1010 01111111 1001010 01111101 101010 10011111 1001010 111111011 1010 01111101 1111010 11011111 101010 01111011 1101010 10011101 1010 10011101 1111110 11110101 101010 11111001 1111010 11011101 1010 11111111 1001010 11111111 101010 11111101 1001010
- Amount of stanzas: 6
- Average number of symbols per stanza: 246
- Average number of words per stanza: 43
- Amount of lines: 48
- Average number of symbols per line: 30 (strings are less long than medium ones)
- Average number of words per line: 5
Mood of the speaker:
The speaker asks many questions. Perhaps, he or she is in confusion.
The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; mother, run, and, never are repeated.
The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same word and is repeated.
The author used the same words why, and at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.
The poet repeated the same word forever at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.
The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The word/phrase run connects the lines.
If you write a school or university poetry essay, you should Include in your explanation of the poem:
- summary of The Shadow-Child;
- central theme;
- idea of the verse;
- history of its creation;
- critical appreciation.
Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!
Pay attention: the program cannot take into account all the numerous nuances of poetic technique while analyzing. We make no warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability and suitability with respect to the information.
