The Missed Train by Thomas Hardy: poem analysis

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

How I was caught
Hieing home, after days of allure,... 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: abba cbbc adda eeeeXdccd
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,9,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: enclosed rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1111 11101001 110011101 101011 11011 01001011 01111101 101101 11101 111000101 011011011 101101 11101 11010101 101101101 011010 00111 101101111 101011011 101101
  • Amount of stanzas: 5
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 120
  • Average number of words per stanza: 24
  • Amount of lines: 20
  • Average number of symbols per line: 29 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 6

  • Mood of the speaker:

    There are many exclamation marks in the poem. The speaker is excited. He or she has strong feelings on the subject that is described in the poem.

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

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