This is an analysis of the poem My Summer Fallow that begins with:

For years my summer-fallow lay,
A wealthy waste of grass and hay ...

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: a a b b c c d d e e e e f f g g h h g g i i d d a a jXj
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,3,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 10110111 01010111 01011111 01010101 111010101 10111101 11010101 01010101 11010101 011111001 11010101 11010101 10011111 01010101 111101001 111010101 11110101 111110101 01010101 11100111 11011101 01110101 01111111 11010111 11111101 010101001 1101001001 01011101
  • Amount of stanzas: 28
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 35
  • Average number of words per stanza: 7
  • Amount of lines: 28
  • Average number of symbols per line: 36 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words a, and, the, that are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of My Summer Fallow;
  • 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 Kirkland Kernighan