This is an analysis of the poem Screw-Guns that begins with:

Smokin' my pipe on the mountings, sniffin' the mornin' cool,
I walks in my old brown gaiters along o' my old brown mule,... 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: AabXXCdCEDdd ffbXXD ggbdXD cXcddXD XffdbbXD AadfXXCdCEDdd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 12,6,6,7,8,13,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10111010100101 110111100111111 01001010111001001 010010010 1100110111 11110110111111 111110011 1110110111 110111010 01011111 111111111101 111101001 11101101111011111 11101001111001101 11001011011010001 1110011110 1111101111 1111011 001101111111011001 001011111111010011 110110110101011011 111110011 1111100111 1111011 01001001101001001 111011011 11101101 101011101111001001 010111011 0100110111 1111011 1011011010 101101101 101001001111101011 0011011111 101101011 111011011 0101101111 1111011 10111010100101 110111100111111 010111111 01111111 110111110 1110101111 11110110111111 111110011 1110110111 110111010 01011111 111001101011 111101001
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 476
  • Average number of words per stanza: 86
  • Amount of lines: 52
  • Average number of symbols per line: 54 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 10
  • 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; my, you, guns, 'im, we, an', o', old are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words if, we're, the, an' are repeated.

    The poet repeated the same word guns 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 Screw-Guns;
  • 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