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

Childhood sleeps in a verandah room
in an iron bed close to the wall...

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: abXa cbXa Xdec XeXe Xadc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 111001001 011011001 101010010 10110101 110111110 101011001 111001110 11101001 101110100 111011010 101110011 1101011110 01010110 011001011 1011010110 011001010 1100110110 1011101010 111010010 11010111
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 150
  • Average number of words per stanza: 27
  • Amount of lines: 20
  • Average number of symbols per line: 37 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and is repeated.

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

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Les Murray