This is an analysis of the poem Reflections Of A Magistrand that begins with:

on returning to St. Andrews
In the hard familiar horse-box I am sitting once again;... full text

Elements of the verse: questions and answers

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  • Rhyme scheme: a bb cc dd ee cX ff bb dd gg ee bb hh ii bb jj dd bb kk ll ee aa hh cc aa ii bb mm hh bb kk mm aX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 1,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 10100111 001010111110101 101011111011101 101001101010101 101011101000101 101111101001101 111011100110101 111010101111101 1011001010100111 11100101001010101 101010111110101 011000100110101 001000100010001 101010110010111 1010101110010101 101110100011001 111010101010111 1010010101010101 111110100010001 101110101110001 111110110011011 1110101001111010 10101110011000010 100010111010001 101010110001101 011011101010101 1001101000100101 101110100110111 101000111010101 101010101011111 101000101011101 111010101010111 101010101111101 1010111010100111 111010101110111 1110101001111111 101010010111001 1011001000010101 101010101011101 111010101011101 001011001101001 101010101010101 110110101010101 101000101010101 111100111110101 101000101101001 101011101000101 11001110101001 0010110000011101 11000101010101 111110101010101 111110101101001 101111101110001 101010101010101 10011101010010101 111010111110111 101110101010111 110100111110101 110010101110101 1000111001000101 111110100010001 000110101011111 101111110111011 101110101010101 1010100011101
  • Amount of stanzas: 33
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 118
  • Average number of words per stanza: 22
  • Amount of lines: 65
  • Average number of symbols per line: 59 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 11
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and, bearing, his, when, of, men, from, i, my, in are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words with, though, as are repeated.

    The author used the same words bearing, though at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The word/phrase men connects the lines.

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

  • summary of Reflections Of A Magistrand;
  • 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 Fuller Murray