This is an analysis of the poem The Secret Police that begins with:
They are listening in the wires,
in the walls, under the eaves ...
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: aaabb X cXcaab X dbdaXebcaXeadX
- Stanza lengths (in strings): 5,1,6,1,14,
- Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
- Сlosest rhyme: limerick
- Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
- Guessed form: unknown form
- Metre: 111000010 0011001 0010110 0010110 001010 11100001 1110101001 0110010100 1011111 11110010101 101101 11101001011 11111 111111 111111 01010011 10101101100 101110010 11011011 11111010 101011011100 1110101001010 101000101010 1101001 1011101001010 01101111 011101010
- Amount of stanzas: 5
- Average number of symbols per stanza: 213
- Average number of words per stanza: 32
- Amount of lines: 27
- Average number of symbols per line: 39 (medium-length strings)
- Average number of words per line: 6
Mood of the speaker:
The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.
The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; in, things, their are repeated.
The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words in, on are repeated.
The author used the same word they at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.
There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines things is repeated).
If you write a school or university poetry essay, you should Include in your explanation of the poem:
- summary of The Secret Police;
- central theme;
- idea of the verse;
- history of its creation;
- critical appreciation.
Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!
Pay attention: the program cannot take into account all the numerous nuances of poetic technique while analyzing. We make no warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability and suitability with respect to the information.
More information about poems by Ken Smith
- Analysis of The Window Of Vulnerability
- Analysis of Encounter At St. Martin's
- Analysis of In The Next Street
