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

Over the water an old ghost strode
To a churchyard on the shore,... 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: ababcdcdd efefcbcbc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 9,9,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: shakespearean sonnet
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 100101111 0011101 110101011 010011 1111110 1100111 10101010 01001000 1110001001 100100111 10101001 1010011111 100101111 1010110110 11100101 1111011110 10111001 10100101100
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 310
  • Average number of words per stanza: 61
  • Amount of lines: 18
  • Average number of symbols per line: 34 (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 author used the same word over 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 Old Ghost;
  • 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 Lovell Beddoes