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

October 9, 1899 -- Outbreak of Boer War
... 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:
  • Stanza lengths (in strings):
  • Closest metre:
  • Сlosest rhyme:
  • Сlosest stanza type:
  • Guessed form:
  • Metre:
  • Amount of stanzas: 33
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 113
  • Average number of words per stanza: 20
  • Amount of lines: 74
  • Average number of symbols per line: 50 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 9
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; he, hard, trumpets, we, and, our, of, step, word, for are repeated.

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

    The author used the same words here, he, we 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 is repeated).

    The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The words/phrases trumpets, connect the lines.

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

  • summary of The Old Issue;
  • 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