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

HAS there any old fellow got mixed with the boys?
If there has, take him out, without making a noise.... 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: aabb ccaa ddee eeXX bbff ddgg hhXX iijX hhkk hhjjXjjaa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 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: 111011011001 011111011001 1010011010001 11001011001 11011011111 110110001101 1010110011011 101111011011 101011001001 11101101001 11111011111 11111001001 101111011101 01001010101 1111100010111000 001101001011 1100100001101 110011111101 11100010011111 10100001011111 11001101001 101111001001 101001001011 111110001011 101101001101 111001001001 1111111010010 111110001111100 11011001001 11001111011 111001101101 111010101001010 11111011111 101011100111 01011111001 101111111001 111111001101 110111111001 111101011011 101101011001 11011101101 01001001001 11111011101 11011011001
  • Amount of stanzas: 11
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 244
  • Average number of words per stanza: 38
  • Amount of lines: 44
  • Average number of symbols per line: 63 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 10
  • 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; twenty, of, we, and, its are repeated.

    The author used the same word that 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 The Boys;
  • 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