This is an analysis of the poem Black Sheep that begins with:

FROM their folded mates they wander far,
Their ways seem harsh and wild: ...

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: abab cdcd ebeb fXfg hihiXgbgb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,9,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 011011101 111111 1100100101 111101 1101110101 1100101 1101000101 010101 1100100101 101101 1010110111 1010111 1001011001 011100 1111110101 1110100 111110111 1011111 1010111001 1111101 11111111 100101 110111101 1101001
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 149
  • Average number of words per stanza: 26
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 37 (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; their, and are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of Black Sheep;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Richard Francis Burton