This is an analysis of the poem The White Mans Burden that begins with:

Lost in the forest, I broke off a dark twig
and lifted its whisper to my thirsty lips:...

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: XaXb cXXX XacXccb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,7,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: sonnet with trochaic pentameter or irregular meter
  • Metre: 10010111011 11001001101 10010100110 0111011 1001101 11100110101 01101110 10111010001 10000101010101 1101101010 1111101 101000111101 1101011110111 11110101001
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 151
  • Average number of words per stanza: 29
  • Amount of lines: 14
  • 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; by is repeated.

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

  • summary of The White Mans Burden;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Pablo Neruda