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

I was pegging out your lime-green dress;
you were hoping the last of the sun...

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: aXXX bcXd ecfd Xfde gXhb Xafh gXff
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 111011111 101001001 11011101110 00111 1101001001011 001011 01001001 00010011111 011100101 001001011011 101011101 001001010111101 01111111 010101001 01111101 01001001 0101001001 10110110101 100101011101011 0010001111100 111101001 001001010010 111001101001110 1110101010 010011111000010 10110111110001 110111111010 1111010110
  • Amount of stanzas: 7
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 178
  • Average number of words per stanza: 34
  • Amount of lines: 28
  • Average number of symbols per line: 44 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 9
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; of, it, death are repeated.

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

    The author used the same words i, the at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Simon Armitage