This is an analysis of the poem An Old Twenty-Third Man that begins with:

“Is that the Three-and-Twentieth, Strabo mine,
Marching below, and we still gulping wine?” ...

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: aabbccaaddeeffddaaffgghhii
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 26,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 01011100101 1001111101 0011000101 01110100101 1101010111 11011100101 1001100101 0101111101 1011001111 1111010111 1101110101 1101010100 1000100111 1001010111 1111010101 1111110101 0101010101 0101010101 1011011101 0100010011 011111000110 11011100110 1111011111 0100010111 1111010101 11110000101
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 1185
  • Average number of words per stanza: 209
  • Amount of lines: 26
  • Average number of symbols per line: 45 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

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

  • summary of An Old Twenty-Third Man;
  • 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 Graves