This is an analysis of the poem Listen To The Mustn'Ts that begins with:

Listen to Mustn'ts, child, listen to the Don'ts.
Listen to the Shouldn'ts, the Impossibles, the Won'ts....

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: XXaa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1001110001 100010100001 1000101110101 101110110110
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 200
  • Average number of words per stanza: 33
  • Amount of lines: 4
  • Average number of symbols per line: 49 (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; listen, to are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of Listen To The Mustn'Ts;
  • 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