This is an analysis of the poem Rewi To Grey: The Old Maori Chief’s Last Message that begins with:

We have lived till these times, brother,
We who lived in this;... 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: ababcdcD beXeadaDXbeeecdcD
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,17,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11111110 11100 11111010 11111 10111110 1111101 01101010 0011101 10111111 01111 11011010 11111 11101010 1110111 11111110 0011101 11011011 10101 11111010 10101 01111010 1111101 01101010 0011101
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 240
  • Average number of words per stanza: 51
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 29 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • 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; we is repeated.

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

    The poet repeated the same word you at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

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

  • summary of Rewi To Grey: The Old Maori Chief’s Last Message;
  • 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 Lawson