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

The river turns,
Leaving a place for the eye to rest,...

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: aXbc XdaXX XcXdXXXbd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,5,9,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 0101 100110101 0100101 010010 01111100 101110111100 11100011001 01011011010010 10110110100101 01101010 1111100010 111101010010 111111011 0110011 0010100101 011010101 01010011 011
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 216
  • Average number of words per stanza: 40
  • Amount of lines: 18
  • Average number of symbols per line: 35 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and is repeated.

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

    The author used the same word 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 Pike;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Theodore Roethke