This is an analysis of the poem Ned The Larrikin that begins with:

A SONG that is bitter with grief—a ballad as pale as the light
That comes with the fall of the leaf, I sing to the shadows to-night.... 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: aa bb cc dd ee ff aa bb gg aa dd hh ii ii dd jj aa Xd hh dd kk aa ll iiXjj
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,5,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 0110100101011101 1100100111001101 0110100101011001 110010011101001 1100110101111001 0101110111001001 0101100111001001 1000100101001001 11101001110101001 01011000101001001 11001001101011001 01011001001001011 0100100101001001 11001000101001011 1100101101001001 0100100101011001 0100101111001101 1100110111101001 1100100101001101 111001001101001011 1100101111101001 01001001001001001 0100101101000001 0100101101001101 0100100101001001 1000100110001001 01111001001001001 0100100101001001 0100100101011001 01101000111101001 1110101101001001 0100100111011011 0100100111001001 01001011011001001 0110100101001011 01111011101001001 111010111011011 1100100101001001 01001001001001001 11011001001011001 1100101111111010 0100101111011101 10100100101001001 10101101101001101 1010010010101001 10100100111001011 1110101001011001 11011011001001001 01101011101001001 101001011101001001
  • Amount of stanzas: 25
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 130
  • Average number of words per stanza: 26
  • Amount of lines: 50
  • Average number of symbols per line: 64 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 13
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; of, his, he, and, ever are repeated.

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

    The author used the same words he, for at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

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

  • summary of Ned The Larrikin;
  • 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 Kendall