The Rantin Dog, The Daddie O'T by Robert Burns: poem analysis

This is an analysis of the poem The Rantin Dog, The Daddie O'T that begins with:

O WHA my babie-clouts will buy?
O wha will tent me when I cry?... 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: aaaX XXXX bbbX cccX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1111101 11011111 1011111 0101011 11011001 11010101 11011101 0101011 111011 1010111 1111111 0101011 1010111 1011101 10111001 0101011
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 125
  • Average number of words per stanza: 27
  • Amount of lines: 19
  • Average number of symbols per line: 26 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 6

  • Mood of the speaker:

    The speaker asks many questions. Perhaps, he or she is in confusion.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; wha, o are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words o, wha are repeated.

    The author used the same word o at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    The poet repeated the same word o't 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 The Rantin Dog, The Daddie O'T;
  • 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

Poems about...
✕