This is an analysis of the poem An Old-Year Song that begins with:

As through the forest, disarrayed
By chill November, late I strayed,... 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: Xaaaaabbcc bbddeeff eXffggcc ffhhhhff ddhXiijj kkffaall
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 10,8,8,8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 110101000 11010111 01010001 11000101 11110111 110110101 11111101 11010101 11011111 01000101 1100100101 11011101 110101001 010101011 11010101 11010001 11111101 110100101 11010101 11110100 110101001 11010101 010010111 110011101 11010111 11010111 01010101 11010101 011101001 010101001 11010101 01011101 11110101 11010111 01111101 11010111 01010111 11010101 100010111 01010101 01011101 11010111 110100111 01011101 01110101 11111101 01111111 11010101 010011101 110110101
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 303
  • Average number of words per stanza: 54
  • Amount of lines: 50
  • 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; thy is repeated.

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

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

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

  • summary of An Old-Year Song;
  • 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