This is an analysis of the poem There Is A River We All Must Cross that begins with:

There is a river we all must cross,
Thousands will pass it tomorrow;... 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: abcd XeXe XfXf ggXgXabcd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,9,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 100101111 10010011 1011001001 10010110 100101101 10010010 1001101010 11010010 111100101 10011010 1101101001 10010010 111100101 10010010 1111001001 11110110 100101111 10111011 1111001001 11010110
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 141
  • Average number of words per stanza: 27
  • Amount of lines: 20
  • Average number of symbols per line: 34 (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; we is repeated.

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

    The author used the same word these at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The word/phrase woe connects the lines.

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

  • summary of There Is A River We All Must Cross;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Henry Clay Work