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

They pass me by like shadows, crowds on crowds,
Dim ghosts of men that hover to and fro,... 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: ababcdcdcXcXee
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 14,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: sonnet with iambic pentameter or irregular meter
  • Metre: 1111111111 1101110011 1011010111 0111010101 1101111111 1111010101 01011001101 1101110101 1111010111 1101011101 10011011101 1101011111 01110010111 01110101001
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 621
  • Average number of words per stanza: 113
  • Amount of lines: 14
  • Average number of symbols per line: 43 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • 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, they, their are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of The Street;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by James Russell Lowell