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

One very rough day on the Pride of the Fray
In the scuppers a poor little cabin-boy lay,... 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: aaaabb Xcccbb bbaabb ddddbb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,6,6,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 11011101001 001001101011 10101101001 11101001011 11100110111 11011011101 1010101010100 001001001011 001001101001 11011111001 111111001001 11111001101 11101101111 1001111011001 101001101001 111101011001 111001111011 011101011101 111001101001 01101101101 111101011001 11001001001 111111101011 001001001101
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 287
  • Average number of words per stanza: 58
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 47 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 10
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

    The poet repeated the same word buccaneer at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

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

  • summary of The Bold Buccaneer;
  • 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 Le Gay Brereton