This is an analysis of the poem Down At The Docks that begins with:

DOWN at the docks--when the smoke clouds lie,
Wind-ript and red, on an angry sky--... 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: aabbccddcceX eeffaaccggXa hhiijjbbjjXa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 12,12,12,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 110110111 111111101 111101111 110100101 10110101 101110111 011110101 101110101 10111111 111001111 110110101 1110100100 110110110 1010100101 1010100101 0110100111 111100101 1011100101 111110111 111110101 1110100111 100100111 1110101101 1110100101 110110101 1010110101 1011011101 001011111 101101101 1011100111 110010101 0010111111 011100111 010110111 11111100 0010100101
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 492
  • Average number of words per stanza: 96
  • Amount of lines: 36
  • Average number of symbols per line: 40 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

    The author used the same word down 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 Down At The Docks;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Isabel Ecclestone Mackay