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

She follows the children out to play,
And calls and clutches when they stray...

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: aabbccX ddeeffccX ggbbddeeX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 7,9,9,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 110010101 11110111 010010111 10010111 10010101 11110001 111110110 110011001 11010101 01011111 11010111 010101011 010011111 10010101 00010001 111110110 111100101 10011101 11011101 11110001 11110111 010001001 11110101 01000101 11110110
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 308
  • Average number of words per stanza: 58
  • Amount of lines: 25
  • Average number of symbols per line: 36 (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; and is repeated.

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

    The author used the same word she at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    The poet repeated the same word ' 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 The Mother Follows;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Sarah Norcliffe Cleghorn