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

Down the white ward with slow, unswerving tread
He came ere break of day--...

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: abab bcbc dada aeae adaX cXXX fXfb fXfX abab gXgX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 1011010101 111101 0111010111 010101 1111011111 111111 1011111101 111101 1001011111 111101 1101110101 010011 1100111111 111111 1101010111 011101 1001000111 110111 1111001101 011111 1101011111 1011010 111111001110 1111110 1101010111 110111 1011010111 111101 1011001101 011101 1111011101 011111 1101010101 100101 01001010101 100101 0101111101 111101 1111110101 1101010
  • Amount of stanzas: 11
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 131
  • Average number of words per stanza: 26
  • Amount of lines: 41
  • Average number of symbols per line: 34 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 7
  • 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; ' is repeated.

    There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines ' is repeated).

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

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

  • summary of The Angel;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Virna Sheard