This is an analysis of the poem Prayer that begins with:

SHE would not keep at home, the foolish woman,
She would not mind her precious girls and boys,...

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: abcXbd XcXacef afgXe egXXaf ahXfbeacXgadXhcaX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,7,5,6,17,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11111101010 1111010111 11011011110 1011100101 1101010001 0101 11010101010 0101110111 01011100010 11110000010 11010011110 1101010111 1111110 01000101010 01110100010 0111010101 0100110011000 11011101111 1101110111 11010101010 11011111010 11011111110 11010101010 010110 1111010101 1101000101 10111111010 11000100010 1101010101 0101010001 1111110100 1111111010 11000101000 1010001101 01110101010 0111010011 11010110101 1111010111 110010001110 11011101010 01010101010
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 334
  • Average number of words per stanza: 62
  • Amount of lines: 45
  • Average number of symbols per line: 36 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; she is repeated.

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

    The author used the same word she 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 Prayer;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by John Crowe Ransom