This is an analysis of the poem The Sweet Little Man that begins with:

DEDICATED TO THE STAY-AT-HOME RANGERS
Now, while our soldiers are fighting our battles,... 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: a abXb cbcb abab bbbb abab dbdb abXb ebeb abab aXab abXb XbXb abab fbfbXdbdb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 1,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,9,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10000011110 11110110110 1101011111 10110110110 1111011101 10111010110 1001001001 10011111110 1111011101 10010011110 1101011001 10011111110 1111011101 11010010010 1001101011 10010111010 1001101101 11101010110 1001001001 11011010110 1111101101 10110011110 1011001011 11011010110 1001101101 11010111010 1011111001 1110110100 1001101101 11010010011 1001001001 10011110011 1111101101 11010110010 1101001101 00010011110 1011101101 11010010010 1001011010 100100111010 1101001101 11011110010 1111011011 11010010100 1101001101 10110010110 1101001001 10110010100 1001011101 10110110010 1011101011 10111111010 1101011101 11111010011 1011001001 10011110011 0111101101 11111011110 1011111011 10011010010 1111011101
  • Amount of stanzas: 16
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 173
  • Average number of words per stanza: 31
  • Amount of lines: 61
  • Average number of symbols per line: 45 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • 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; you, for, he, him are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words all, such, how are repeated.

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

    The poet repeated the same word man 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 The Sweet Little Man;
  • 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