This is an analysis of the poem Crouchin’ On The Outside that begins with:

One two three four five six seven eight hey baby you're a little too late
I'm standin' on the outside lookin' in at you on the inside...

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: abccabba abcbXbbd abAaebbAeeabffgbbgXd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,20,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 111111101110101011 0101011100111001 101111011100 101001101011100 111110111110101 11101001101011 1010101100101011 100111001101 1111111011111011 0101011101111011 101111011101 111010101111101 111110101111111 111010111010111111 1010101110111111 101111011101 1111111011111001 1101011101111011 101111011101 111000111010111 111010101110101 1110101110011111 1010101110101011 101111011101 111101110111011011011 1 111111101110100 110101110111011 1010110111011 111010111110101 111111101110101 1110101100111011 010101100111111 101011011101 101110111011 10111011101
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 723
  • Average number of words per stanza: 143
  • Amount of lines: 36
  • Average number of symbols per line: 59 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 12
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; at, on, lookin', you, side, and, straight, four, you're are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words and, while, lookin' are repeated.

    The author used the same word one 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 side is repeated).

    The poet repeated the same word back 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 Crouchin’ On The Outside;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Shel Silverstein