This is an analysis of the poem Witch Burning that begins with:

In the marketplace they are piling the dry sticks.
A thicket of shadows is a poor coat. I inhabit...

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: XaXbaX caXXac XdeXXfXdfbeba
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,13,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 001011110011 01001100111010 01100110110 1001111011110 10010110101 00101111001010 0010010101001 01010111101 011010110101 111011 11100001010 1100100101 011010111111 011101111010111 1010010101011011 111001011101 111011111011 01110110101 10010101011 1110101101001 11111111000101 110010011001 11010100111 1111110010101
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 291
  • Average number of words per stanza: 58
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 48 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 10
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

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

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

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

  • summary of Witch Burning;
  • 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