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

THE Play is over. While the light
Yet lingers in the darkening hall,... 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: abab cdcd efef ghgh igXg jaja ieXe ihih eded akak Xgbgb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,5,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 01010101 110001001 11010101 01010101 11010101 010011101 01111111 11011111 11010111 01010111 10010101 11010101 01110111 110000101 10110101 110101001 11011101 01110111 01110111 01010111 01110101 110011111 10100101 110010101 01010101 110101001 1100101100 11111101 01110101 11010111 110010101 01010111 11110101 11011111 11010001 01010111 010010101 11100101 110110101 10101101 11110111 11110101 01011101 11110101
  • Amount of stanzas: 12
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 134
  • Average number of words per stanza: 24
  • Amount of lines: 45
  • Average number of symbols per line: 35 (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, we are repeated.

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

    The author used the same words we, the at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The word/phrase alive connects the lines.

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Oliver Wendell Holmes