This is an analysis of the poem Macdonough's Song that begins with:

Whether the State can loose and bind
In Heaven as well as on Earth:... 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: ababcdcd aeaeXfgf gfgfhihiX bbcX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,9,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: rima
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10011111 01011111 000100111 0111001 11100101 111101 110111101 100101 1001001101 1110101 0001001101 1100111 11111101 11011011 1101011001 100101 10101101 100111 100110101 100101 1011101 110100 11100101 100111 110101 11101010101 1110101010101 10111010111 11101001100100
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 246
  • Average number of words per stanza: 48
  • Amount of lines: 29
  • Average number of symbols per line: 33 (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; by, holy, it are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same word once is repeated.

    The author used the same word whether 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 earth connects the lines.

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

  • summary of Macdonough's Song;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Rudyard Kipling