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

The sun is low,
The waters flow,...

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: aaabbb Xccddd eeefffXfffeee
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,13,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 0101 0101 11010011 0101 1001 01010111 0101 01001 11010101 1111 0111 11010101 1101 1111 01010101 0101 0101 01011101 1101 0101 11011001 1101 0111 010101011
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 140
  • Average number of words per stanza: 27
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 23 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 4
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

  • summary of On The River;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Paul Laurence Dunbar