This is an analysis of the poem Taking In Wash that begins with:

Papa called her Pearl when he came home
drunk, swaying as if the wind touched...

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: abcXacXcbX daebeb fXfdXbc gg
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 10,6,7,2,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 101011111 11010011 1010110011 110101110 0101010101 10110101 10111001 10111101 010101111 011100111001 1110111111 01011101 101101 01101001 0101 11010101 1001101010 0110010010 1010101 1111 01110110110 100111 111 11111 110100100
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 212
  • Average number of words per stanza: 40
  • Amount of lines: 25
  • Average number of symbols per line: 33 (medium-length strings)
  • 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; mama, she are repeated.

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

  • summary of Taking In Wash;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Rita Dove