This is an analysis of the poem The Sheep-Killing Dog that begins with:

So yıv been killin sheep?
Ye useless whelp ; ...

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 Xa a b cb c cX cX X d Xd X ce c f af a g hg h d id i e jXXj
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,1,1,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: enclosed rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 110101 1101 10111111 1111 101101 11011 1101101 11011 111011011 11101 10101011 1011 1110110 11111 11100 1011 11110 10111 101110 1111 11111 0111 1110111 11101 1111110 0101 101110 111 110101 11010 1011101 01010 1110 11111 1111100 10111
  • Amount of stanzas: 26
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 30
  • Average number of words per stanza: 7
  • Amount of lines: 38
  • Average number of symbols per line: 21 (very short strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 5
  • Mood of the speaker:

    There are many exclamation marks in the poem. The speaker is excited. He or she has strong feelings on the subject that is described in the poem.

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

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

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

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines ye is repeated).

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

  • summary of The Sheep-Killing Dog;
  • 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