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

See an old unhappy bull,
Sick in soul and body both, ...

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: abbaccdeXdffghgheeceXcaafcXfcchiihggjkXjhhgccgcclbbljjmimikkhkhXccghhgkkhnnhaacffcKKeXoejjgnngkkkjkjiifjjfggbdbdllakkahhccccKkhpphnnceeciichhcjjclXchhfaafccakkaoofhhfggikkiccekXkkK
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 180,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1110101 1011101 1000101 0010100 1000111 1110101 1110101 1110101 1111100 0011101 11010101 1010111 11010001 1010111 1011100 1011101 11011101 1010111 1010101 1111101 1000100 1011101 1011011 0010100 1010111 1110101 1010100 1110101 1110101 10010101 11111001 1110101 1110101 1111100 10001101 1011111 1010101 11010101 10101011 11000101 1011101 1011101 11010101 11010101 11010101 1010101 1011101 1011101 1010101 1010101 1010111 1010111 1011101 1110101 1110101 0010101 1010101 1010101 1010101 1010101 1000111 0010101 1010101 1011100 1011101 11010101 1010111 0010111 0010111 1010100 1010101 1010100 1010101 1110001 01110101 1010101 1011101 1110101 1110101 11100101 1111101 1010101 1011001 1010111 1010001 1011101 1100111 1010101 1110111 1111011 1010111 1010111 1011111 1010111 1111101 11011100 1010101 0010001 1010101 1010111 1010101 1010101 1000111 1000111 1011101 01001111 1011101 1010001 1010001 1000101 1110101 1011101 11011101 1010101 11010101 11011101 11111111 11100101 11111101 11111101 1010001 1111101 11010001 1010101 1011001 1010111 1001101 10100010 11101010 1111101 1010101 1110101 1010101 1011101 1011111 1011111 0010001 1010101 1010101 1010101 1010111 1110101 1010111 1010111 1010101 1010001 1010110 1010111 110001 1011100 1010111 1010001 1010111 1010111 110101 1010001 1010001 1010001 1000101 1010111 1110101 1010101 1010101 1000101 1000111 1010101 11010101 10001001 1011111 1010101 1000101 1110101 1000111 1111101 1010101 0010101 1010101 1010101 1011001 1010111
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 5665
  • Average number of words per stanza: 1023
  • Amount of lines: 180
  • Average number of symbols per line: 30 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and, round, his, all, of, bull, not, that are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words left, and, he, all, learning, dreaming, not, dared are repeated.

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Ralph Hodgson