This is an analysis of the poem This Gloomy Northern Day that begins with:

THIS gloomy northern day,
Or this yet gloomier night,... 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: abaaab cbcddb efggef afahhf fcddfc dediie
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,6,6,6,6,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 010101 1011001 110101 011111 111101 1101 111111 111101 010111 1101001 110111 0101 111111 1100111 1001001 110101 111101 1101 111111 110111 010101 110111 110101 0101 010111 111011 010101 010101 110001 0101 010101 010101 101101 110101 110101 0101
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 151
  • Average number of words per stanza: 29
  • Amount of lines: 36
  • Average number of symbols per line: 24 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 5
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

    The poet repeated the same word night 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 This Gloomy Northern Day;
  • 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 Louis Stevenson