This is an analysis of the poem Where-Away that begins with:

O the Lands of Where-Away!
Tell us--tell us--where are they?... 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: aabbccaa ddeeddaa ccddffaX gghXhhXa bbiijjaa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1010101 1111111 1010101 1110111 0010001 0010101 1010101 1010101 1110101 1010101 1010101 0011101 1010001 1011111 1010111 10010101 1011101 1110101 1110111 1110101 1010011 1110111 1101101 1010110 1010101 10111001 1111111 0010100 1011101 1000111 1100101 1011101 1010111 1010111 1111101 1110101 0010101 1010001 0010101 1010101
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 244
  • Average number of words per stanza: 45
  • Amount of lines: 40
  • Average number of symbols per line: 30 (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; from, on, their are repeated.

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

    The poet repeated the same word away 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 Where-Away;
  • 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 Whitcomb Riley