This is an analysis of the poem Our Banker that begins with:

OLD TIME, in whose bank we deposit our notes,
Is a miser who always wants guineas for groats;... 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: aXbb ccdd eeff bbgg eebb ffhh ggii aabb Xdaa iijj aacc bbaaXhhbb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,9,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 11011101011 001011111011 11101001001 11001011000 010011111001 101001101111 11001111101 11111101011 11101111111 11001111011 110011011011 111001001001 01011011011 11101011011 111110111101 111101001001 11001111001 111111111111 111111101111 101101001001 001001101101 01111011001 111011001001 11001011001 1101111111010 11111011011 111011101011 111001111111 11011001001 111001111001 111101101011 101011101001 1010110110110 111011011011 101101011101 111011011011 01001011011 11011101011 001111111011 01111011101 11111111111 111101001001 111001001111 11011101001 11101111101 101011001001 110010010001 101001001001 11001011011 111101001001 11101011011 111001001011
  • Amount of stanzas: 13
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 197
  • Average number of words per stanza: 39
  • Amount of lines: 52
  • Average number of symbols per line: 48 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 10
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and, at, may, have, he, i, his, as, they, we, that, of are repeated.

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

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

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

  • summary of Our Banker;
  • 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