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

On the then-below-zero day, it was on,
near the patients' chair, the old heater...

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: abcdddeXfdbXgagcdafcegcggfXXcdbbbXdb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 36,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: shakespearean sonnet
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10101101011 101010110 1101001101 1010111110101 0110110110011 1011000101 01011101 10110010110 1100100101 1110101111 110011010 101011 100110101011 110111111001 11011011011 1101111010 1111010010111 111110101011 11111101 0101011100101 11010101 0111101 111111101 111111111 110101011 11111001110 01110011 11010011101010 1111101001011 11101111 1011010101010 10010001010100010 0100010100010 0100010010010 0101001001 010010
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 1537
  • Average number of words per stanza: 305
  • Amount of lines: 36
  • Average number of symbols per line: 42 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; of, i, me, and are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of The Space Heater;
  • 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