This is an analysis of the poem To The Sub-Prior that begins with:

Good evening, Sir Priest, and so late as you ride,
With your mule so fair, and your mantle so wide; ...

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: aabbCcc ddeeCcc Xa bbffggg hhddiii XXbbb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 7,7,2,7,7,5,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 01011111111 01111111011 111110111101 101111001111 11 0101 1101001001 1111011111 01001001101 1111101011 11001111111 11 11001 001011011111 101011010010111011110101011010111111011 01101 11010111 11011010101 01001010001 1010110101 01111 00111 0010010111 10110111111 101101111101 111101011101 11001001011 0101 101001 1100111101 10011110 10111110 111 001001 1100111111
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 242
  • Average number of words per stanza: 48
  • Amount of lines: 35
  • Average number of symbols per line: 41 (medium-length strings)
  • 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; you, ride, so, back, name, of are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words that, men are 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 To The Sub-Prior;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Sir Walter Scott