This is an analysis of the poem Barnacles that begins with:

My soul is sailing through the sea,
But the Past is heavy and hindereth me.... full text

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: aaXXbbbc aadddddc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: limerick
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11010101 10101011001 01110101 11010111 0111 01110111 1100101101 11001010 111111101 110010101 111101111 11011101 0101 11101101 11110001 1111110
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 276
  • Average number of words per stanza: 51
  • Amount of lines: 16
  • Average number of symbols per line: 34 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    There are many exclamation marks in the poem. The speaker is excited. He or she has strong feelings on the subject that is described in the poem.

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Sidney Lanier