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

And these are Christians! God! the horror of it!
How long, O Lord! how long, O Lord! how long... 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: ababcXccdXdXdada
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 16,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11110101000 1111111111 11010111010 1111110101 11110101110 11010100101 11010101110 1111110100 11010111010 11111111001 01011101010 0111010110 01001101110 0011010011 10111101110 1101110101
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 735
  • Average number of words per stanza: 136
  • Amount of lines: 16
  • Average number of symbols per line: 45 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 9
  • Mood of the speaker:

    There are many exclamation marks in the poem. The speaker is excited. He or she has strong feelings on the subject that is described in the poem.

    The speaker asks many questions. Perhaps, he or she is in confusion.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; long, how, and, that are 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 Iron Age;
  • 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