This is an analysis of the poem On Waking that begins with:

SLEEP, gray brother of death,
Has touched me, ... 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: abc dedXf ggefdc bhdiX fXifXb fifffhbigfffdcXa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 3,5,6,5,6,16,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 111001 111 111 1011001 1101010 0101 1101110 10 1101 1010011 010 110111 1100011 11 1001011 01111 010111 00101010 1101 11 101010 011 0101 1100 1110101 111 11001011 00100101 1010111 1011001 1011010 1001101 101 101010010 100101 1001101 1010101 101011 11010 011001 1000101
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 178
  • Average number of words per stanza: 31
  • Amount of lines: 41
  • Average number of symbols per line: 25 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 5
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

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

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

  • summary of On Waking;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Joseph Campbell