This is an analysis of the poem Trying To Name What Doesn’t Change that begins with:

Roselva says the only thing that doesn’t change
is train tracks. She’s sure of it....

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: abXcdX efXf bdcfa gdX gefX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,4,5,3,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: enclosed rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 10010101111 0111100 0110101111100 1011101 11111011 10111111 10111110101 110010111010101 0011010110101 01111100101 1001110101 1010100101 01000101 10010100 10111 101 01111010100010 011110101001 0110110101 110101101 001001 0110100001001
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 185
  • Average number of words per stanza: 35
  • Amount of lines: 22
  • Average number of symbols per line: 41 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

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

  • summary of Trying To Name What Doesn’t Change;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Naomi Shihab Nye