This is an analysis of the poem The Real Question that begins with:

Folks is talkin' 'bout de money, 'bout de silvah an' de gold;
All de time de season 's changin' an' de days is gittin' cold....

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: aabb ccXX ddXX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 101010101010101 1010101101010101 1111010101011101 10111010111111111 1111110101010101 101011101110001 1110001010111010 0011101110111100 111111101110101 111110101110101 111011101010011 10101110011011101
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 251
  • Average number of words per stanza: 52
  • Amount of lines: 12
  • Average number of symbols per line: 62 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 13
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; de, 's, an', 'bout, dat are repeated.

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

  • summary of The Real Question;
  • 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