This is an analysis of the poem In School-Days that begins with:

Still sits the school-house by the road,
A ragged beggar sleeping; ... 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: abcb defe ebeb dbgb gbab Xafa caga Xbfb aceX dbXb ehfh
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 11011101 0101010 01010101 11101110 01010101 1111010 01010101 01101010 01110101 0111010 01110101 1101010 10010101 1100110 11010101 11101010 01010101 1111010 01110101 1101010 11010101 0101010 01110101 1111010 10010101 0111110 11000101 0111010 11010111 0111010 11010001 1001010 101011101 1101011 1000011101 100111110 110000111 1111010 11010101 1100010 11010111 1111011 01110101 1001111
  • Amount of stanzas: 11
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 137
  • Average number of words per stanza: 24
  • Amount of lines: 44
  • Average number of symbols per line: 34 (medium-length strings)
  • 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; her, you, i are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of In School-Days;
  • 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