This is an analysis of the poem A Tippling Ballad—when Princes And Prelates, Etc. that begins with:

WHEN Princes and Prelates,
And hot-headed zealots,... full text

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: aabccbb ddbXXbbXXbXcbb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 7,14,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 110110 111010 1101100101 01111 11001 11001111111 11001111 011010 111010 1101011101 001110 11001 10111111111 101111111 110100 111010 01011101 11101 11001 1111111111 11111111
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 320
  • Average number of words per stanza: 63
  • Amount of lines: 22
  • Average number of symbols per line: 28 (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; he, as, dow are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words and, e'en are repeated.

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines dow is repeated).

    The poet repeated the same word dow at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

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

  • summary of A Tippling Ballad—when Princes And Prelates, Etc.;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Robert Burns