This is an analysis of the poem At School-Close that begins with:

BOWDOIN STREET, BOSTON, 1877.
The end has come, as come it must... 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: X abab cdcd bdbd baba acac aaaa ebeb baba fgfg bhbh ieie bjbj XaXa cjXX bfbX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 1,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 011101 01111101 01101111 01010101 110101011 11100000 110100101 11111001 01000101 11010101 11000101 01110101 011101011 11010101 01011011 11010001 01100101 11110101 01110111 01110111 01010101 01011101 010010101 11010101 11010101 11110101 11010101 01011111 11010111 01010101 110101001 11111111 01100101 00010101 010011001 01000101 01000101 01010000 11011101 11110111 01100101 11010101 11010101 11010111 11010101 01010111 01001101 11010101 11011100 11011111 01110111 010101000 11110101 11010111 11110100 11010001 01010100 11011111 01011101 01010101 110101010
  • Amount of stanzas: 16
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 137
  • Average number of words per stanza: 25
  • Amount of lines: 61
  • Average number of symbols per line: 35 (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; to, be, and are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of At School-Close;
  • 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 Greenleaf Whittier