This is an analysis of the poem To Charles Sumner that begins with:

If I have seemed more prompt to censure wrong
Than praise the right; if seldom to thine ear... 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: abbaaaccaaaaddeeccfggfffhhcXiijXeXjhicchi
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 41,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 0111110101 1101010011 11110000101 1011110101 0111010101 0111011101 0100010101 101010010101 1111011101 0111010111 1001000101 0011100101 0101001111 1101010101 10111010001 1001110101 1101010101 010110101 1111010101 11011111111 11011011101 01011100101 0011011111 1001010101 1001110111 1011000101 1001000101 010101010 1101010111 11110000111 1001111011 1111011000 1101010101 11010101100 11100110101 01001010111 00110100101 1100110101 1111010101 11010100101 0101010111
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 1835
  • Average number of words per stanza: 328
  • Amount of lines: 41
  • Average number of symbols per line: 44 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; in, of, and are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of To Charles Sumner;
  • 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