This is an analysis of the poem On The Road To Nowhere that begins with:

On the road to nowhere
What wild oats did you sow ... 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: ABcbXded fghgfigiABgb gjXjahchceaeXdhdikik akkkkeXe
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,12,20,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic trimeter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 101011 111011 1111101 01101 111110 011111 0111011 11101 001110 110011 0110101 10101 011110 010101 1010101 10101 101011 111011 1010111 10111 111010 110111 11010101 0101001 101011 010110 1110011 10101 1101010 111101 1001101 10101 101010 10101 1001111 10101 100110 111101 101111 01101 1111011 101111 0101010 010101 1011110 010101 1111010 110101
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 330
  • Average number of words per stanza: 58
  • Amount of lines: 48
  • Average number of symbols per line: 27 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 5
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The speaker asks many questions. Perhaps, he or she is in confusion.

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

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

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

  • summary of On The Road To Nowhere;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Vachel Lindsay