This is an analysis of the poem The Good Negro that begins with:

The good Negro in decades gone,
In times not that long ago......

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: ABcccdeddXafdffe ABXadcgacaa ABcaghbdahai acXicf
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 16,11,12,6,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 00100011 0111101 1011101 0010011 01101 10010010100 0100010110 11111 0110101 1 01101001011 0101110 100101 01011010110 100100011010 001000101010 00100011 0111101 101011011 11000100 1010010101001 1110110101 111101 10101101000100 010100001 01101010 001001001001 00100011 0111101 0110100011010 10110111111 1101100 001000101010001 0111101 1010001010001 1001011 1011111001 011000001110 101010101100 100110 11101010 01010110010 100010010110100 00101010 0010110101
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 399
  • Average number of words per stanza: 69
  • Amount of lines: 45
  • Average number of symbols per line: 35 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    There are many three dots in the poem. Readers should think of the author's idea together with the pensive speaker.

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

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

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

  • summary of The Good Negro;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Lawrence S. Pertillar