This is an analysis of the poem To Rutherford Birchard Hayes that begins with:

AT THE DINNER TO THE PRESIDENT,
BOSTON, JUNE 26, 1877... 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: aX bbccbb aaaa ddbbeeff ggaa ddeehhXcii
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 2,6,4,8,4,10,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 101000101 10111 1011110001 1111010111 1111000101 1101110111 1111110111 1101010001 0100110101 0111011101 1001010110 1101000101 1101110101 1011110111 1111110111 1011110111 110011101001 1001011101 1101101101 1001110101 1101111101 1101011111 11010010111 1001110101 1111011101 1011010101 0101010101 0101011101 10110100111 1111000111 10110010110 11001010100 1011110111 1111011101
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 242
  • Average number of words per stanza: 44
  • Amount of lines: 34
  • Average number of symbols per line: 42 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; we is repeated.

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

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

  • summary of To Rutherford Birchard Hayes;
  • 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