This is an analysis of the poem Hark! The Mavis that begins with:

CA' the yowes to the knowes,
   Ca' them where the heather grows, ... 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: XaaX bXbX cccd aaad eeeX fffX XXXX X
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,1,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10100010 1010101 101011 1101 1010101 1010110 1010111 1101 1111101 1010101 10011101 101110 10101010 11111110 100101010 101110 1110111 10111011 1011111 1101 1110111 1111101 1111101 1101 1101001 11100111 11111111 11011 10100010
  • Amount of stanzas: 8
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 132
  • Average number of words per stanza: 20
  • Amount of lines: 29
  • Average number of symbols per line: 36 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 5
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; ca' is repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words ca', while are repeated.

    The poet repeated the same word dearie 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 Hark! The Mavis;
  • 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