This is an analysis of the poem A Ballad Maker that begins with:

ONCE I loved a maiden fair,
Over the hills and jar away,...

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: aBaBaaaB cBcBdddB eBeBfffB gBgBhhhB XBgBaaaB
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 1110101 10011101 11111001 10011101 11111101 1111110111 1111100101 10011101 11100101 10011101 01111101 10011101 1110100111 110110111 10101001001 10011101 101111111 10011101 0110111111 10011101 10011101 11110101 10111101 10011101 111010101 10011101 10100111 10011101 11111111 11110111 1110110111 10011101 0101000101 10011101 0101011001 10011101 1111100101 111101001101 1101100111 10011101
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 284
  • Average number of words per stanza: 58
  • Amount of lines: 40
  • Average number of symbols per line: 35 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and, he are repeated.

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

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

    The poet repeated the same word away 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 A Ballad Maker;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Padraic Colum