This is an analysis of the poem O Black And Unknown Bards that begins with:

O black and unknown bards of long ago,
How came your lips to touch the sacred fire?... 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: abaXcdcd XceceeeX dfdfgcgc hchcXdbd iiiiXgXg cXcXcjcj
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 1110110101 11110101010 1011001101 01011000101 1101011001 1101011111 1001010101 0101111001 1011111100 1101010101 0101110101 1101011101 1111011101 1100111111 1111000101 100101011 1101011101 11011110101 11010100101 1101011111 1001110101 1101011001 11001011101 1101110101 1111010001 01001100101 1001010101 1011110101 1101010111 0111011111 10010011110 1111001111 1001110001 1001011101 01001000111 1101000111 11110101100 1101010111 0101100101 1111010001 1111010101 11010110101 0111011101 1101010100 1111011101 11110010101 1111100101 1101011101
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 355
  • Average number of words per stanza: 65
  • Amount of lines: 48
  • 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; his, and, of, you are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of O Black And Unknown Bards;
  • 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 Weldon Johnson