This is an analysis of the poem A Boston Ballad, 1854 that begins with:

TO get betimes in Boston town, I rose this morning early;
Here's a good place at the corner--I must stand and see the show.... 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: ab ccad ef gc dX Xehij kjhl gfc hXmjj db fXX icnmX kanXne icnX lc iemf cc lXj
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 2,4,2,2,2,5,4,3,5,2,3,5,6,4,2,4,2,3,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 0110001011101010 100110101111101 1011100 1101001011010010 1101001110101010100 100 1101101111101001 1010 111010000111 1001100101011101 011001001110 10110101101101101 1000101011011001 011100111001 1010101111 11010110101 101111011110 1101101010101000 11 101101111011101 1011100 011110110110100 10 01111111010010 11110111111111 1101 1111111111000 10 11111110011001 111111011010 001000101111 01111 01111001110 11111011101 110111011111110 0100010 1010000101110010010 1110100100100100 10111 11110100111001 111011010 101101010111110 10 1011011111101 101 11101001001110100 10 1101001010100101 001110 010110 111001001001010 00101001110101111 011 1011100111011100 1 1111011100101001 11101 1110110100110110 011 1110111010110
  • Amount of stanzas: 18
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 176
  • Average number of words per stanza: 28
  • Amount of lines: 60
  • Average number of symbols per line: 53 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 9
  • 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; way, and, of, you, to, your are repeated.

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

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

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

  • summary of A Boston Ballad, 1854;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Walt Whitman