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

The first ones were attached to my dress
at the waist, one on either side,...

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: abbcddcefXfXghibXdbcXieijiXhkXgclckaecccXclj Xe
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 44,2,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: shakespearean sonnet
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 011001011 10111101 1101111111 111101001 110011010 10101110100 100010101101 1001001111 111111111 0101101010 11110111 10001010110 11110110 10101010 1111110 101011111111 10111000110 011101110 110001001 1100111110 11011101101 1110100101 1111011 11001010011100 1101110010 1011100 111101110 10011010 1010101111 110100 111001100 11111010 1111110100 110010011 11010111 111101 01111011 111111 0101001011 101110111010 0111100111 101001011010 11011111110 110 0100010
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 871
  • Average number of words per stanza: 167
  • Amount of lines: 46
  • Average number of symbols per line: 37 (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; you, your, on, her, and are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of The Sash;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Sharon Olds