This is an analysis of the poem Cod-Liver Oil that begins with:

ON the bleak shore of Norway, I’ve lately been told,
Large numbers of cod-fish are found,... 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: aaaabb XcXcbb dedebb bfbfbb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,6,6,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 101101111001 11001111 101001011001 11101011 01001001001 01001011101 111101001101 111001001 110010111001 101111101 11101011011 111101011101 001011111001 011001001 101001001001 111001101 11111001101 001011011101 111101001111 1111111001 1111101011111 11111011 1111101111101 111101001101
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 273
  • Average number of words per stanza: 56
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 45 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 9
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

    The poet repeated the same word oil 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 Cod-Liver Oil;
  • 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 Sambrooke Leigh