This is an analysis of the poem Merchandise that begins with:

MERCHANDISE! Merchandise! Tortoiseshell, spices,
Carpets and Indigo sent o’er the highseas;... 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: aXaaXbcc aadd cccc Xaee eecc aacc ffff ggaa bbhh iicc XcjXaj X
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,6,1,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 101101100010 10110111010 1000001001 11010011010 1001011010 1001011001 1010011001 11001001001 1011001101 01001111011 1001101101 1111001011 11101011001 01011001011 1011011011 101101101011 1011011111 1011101011 1111111111 11011101011 1111001011 1011011101 1011111101 011001011011 1101001111 1111011111 1101011011 11011101001 1001011011 11111001101 1101011111 11011001101 1001001011 1111011011 1011011011 1011001011 1011011011 11111011001 1011001111 11111001001 1000100100001 01101101001 01111101111 1101001001 11111001010 111011101 1001001001 0101110110 101101010101 1011101101
  • Amount of stanzas: 13
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 182
  • Average number of words per stanza: 31
  • Amount of lines: 51
  • Average number of symbols per line: 46 (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; from, of, and, her, your, for, good, ships are repeated.

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

    The author used the same word at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

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

    The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The word/phrase merchandise connects the lines.

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

  • summary of Merchandise;
  • 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 Milton Hayes