This is an analysis of the poem The Captive that begins with:

Not with an outcry to Allah nor any complaining
He answered his name at the muster and stood to the chaining.... 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: aabbbbccXdeeaaffdX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 18,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10111010110010 110011010110010 10110011011110 110010010010010 1011001010011101 0101101111001101 11111011110010 10011011010010 011100010010011000 10011010010010010 010100011110010 1010010111010010 010010010010010 101110011001010 11010110010010 11011110110010 11011011010010 1110011010111100
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 1074
  • Average number of words per stanza: 192
  • Amount of lines: 18
  • Average number of symbols per line: 59 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 11
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; to, him, his, of are repeated.

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines them, him are repeated).

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

  • summary of The Captive;
  • 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