This is an analysis of the poem From Colin Clout that begins with:

What can it avail
To drive forth a snail,... 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: aaaaabbXaaaaccbbbXXXXXXXXddaaabbbeeeefffXXXXXXbbbbggeeddXX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 58,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11001 01101 10101 01101 01101 011001 10101 11110 11001 0101001 1001 11011 01101 11001 10111 01011 110101 110110 111110 111110 111110 1101110 1101110 1101110 1101110 10111 11101 10101 11101 101101 11111 11101 10111 01101 010011 0101101 01001 01110 11111 10111 010100 111000 110100 10100 1000 01000 101101 110101 110101 110011 11101 10101 1111010 1011 10110 101110 0111100 010011
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 1319
  • Average number of words per stanza: 255
  • Amount of lines: 58
  • Average number of symbols per line: 22 (very short strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 4
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines dead is repeated).

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

  • summary of From Colin Clout;
  • 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 Skelton