This is an analysis of the poem Old Man Rain that begins with:

Old Man Rain at the windowpane
Knocks and fumbles and knocks again:... 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: AaaAaA AaaaaAXaaaaaa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,13,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11110101 11101101 01110111 11110101 1111101 111 11110101 11100101 01110111 1110101 11101101 111 1110101 011110101 10100101 011111101 0010110101 1111111
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 198
  • Average number of words per stanza: 37
  • Amount of lines: 18
  • Average number of symbols per line: 32 (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; and, old are repeated.

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

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

    The poet repeated the same word rain at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

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

  • summary of Old Man Rain;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Madison Julius Cawein