This is an analysis of the poem Martha that begins with:

SEXTON! Martha's dead and gone;
Toll the bell! toll the bell!... 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: aBccB aBXXB ABddB ABeeBXABddB
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 5,5,5,11,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rondeau rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1010111 101101 01011101 01110101 101 10101111 101101 110011101 1011111010 101 1010111 101101 11111111 01010101 101 1010111 101101 11011101 01110101 101 1010111 101101 11010101 11011101 101
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 193
  • Average number of words per stanza: 28
  • Amount of lines: 25
  • Average number of symbols per line: 39 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • 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 author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; toll, bell are repeated.

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

    The poet repeated the same word bell 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 Martha;
  • 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