This is an analysis of the poem The Old Black Billy An' Me that begins with:

The sheep are yarded, an’ I sit
Beside the fire an’ poke at it.... 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: aaXXb bbbccc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 5,6,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 01110111 010101110 1011111 1111110 1010111 110101111 1011111 111100101 11010101 1111110 101110111
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 184
  • Average number of words per stanza: 40
  • Amount of lines: 11
  • Average number of symbols per line: 33 (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; i is repeated.

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

  • summary of The Old Black Billy An' Me;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Louis Esson