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

This man makes a pseudonym
And crawls behind it like a worm....

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: aa bb ac cb dd ee XX XXXaa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 2,2,2,2,2,2,2,5,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 0110101 11010101 01010101 110011010 01010101 1111111 01001010 1111011 100101 11 010010 100110010 11100111 11011100 10011101 01010011 1011101 11010111
  • Amount of stanzas: 9
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 60
  • Average number of words per stanza: 12
  • Amount of lines: 18
  • Average number of symbols per line: 30 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

    The author used the same words this, 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 Fearful;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Sylvia Plath