This is an analysis of the poem God's Funeral that begins with:

I
I saw a slowly-stepping train --... full text

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: abcbc Xdada Xefef XXghg adidi adjdj XdiXi Xkiki XgXga hblbl aXcXc XhehX XmhmX Xdidi Xiiii Xdidi Xkdkd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 1 11010101 1101111111 10001010101 0111010111 1 11010101 1101010111 1101011111 01000101011 1 01110111 1111111001 01010101001 11010101001 1 10100100 1001011101 10110100101 1001110101 1 11011111 01010100101 11001110111 1111110101 1 110101001 10011111101 1101010001 1111110101 1 10110111 1111010101 0011110110 11000110101 1 11111101 1101011101 1101110011 1111010101 1 10110101 0100010100 1001101100 1101111100 1 101110100 1011011111 10011110101 1101010101 1 11010011 0101010101 01110010100 1101010111 1 11111101 10010010101 1111010111 0101011000 1 10011111 1101110100 11111010001 010010011101 1 11111111 10111011101 1111010101 1111111111 1 11011111 001010111001 1100110111 01110011101 1 100101001 0101110111 11010010111 10100110101 1 11010101 1010110101 1111010111 0100110001
  • Amount of stanzas: 17
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 175
  • Average number of words per stanza: 31
  • Amount of lines: 85
  • Average number of symbols per line: 38 (medium-length strings)
  • 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; we, our, and, i are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words i, to are repeated.

    The poet repeated the same word ' at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

    The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The word/phrase i connects the lines.

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

  • summary of God's Funeral;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Thomas Hardy