This is an analysis of the poem The Answer that begins with:

Spare me, dread angel of reproof,
And let the sunshine weave to-day... 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: XaXa baba acac dede efef caca cXcX XXXd cgcg hghg igig igig cece icic agag hXhg bebX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 11110010 11011101 01100111 011111 11010101 110011111 010101111 011101 11110101 01010101 01011111 010101 01010101 11010111 01010101 010101 111101001 110101010 01010101 1101010 01110011 10110101 11000101 111101 11111101 01011101 10110101 111100 11010101 11011110 11110101 110001 110011010 11011101 110101010 111101 11010001 01110000 11011111 010101 11110001 10011111 10010101 010111 11011111 11011101 110101101 010101 110011111 11010101 11110101 110111 10010101 01010111 11010111 110001 10110101 110101101 11010100 101111 11010101 10100110 01110100 010001 11011111 01001111 11111101 111001
  • Amount of stanzas: 17
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 132
  • Average number of words per stanza: 25
  • Amount of lines: 68
  • Average number of symbols per line: 32 (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; and, of are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words the, to, no are repeated.

    The author used the same word spare 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 The Answer;
  • 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