This is an analysis of the poem A March In The Ranks, Hard-Prest that begins with:

A MARCH in the ranks hard-prest, and the road unknown;
A route through a heavy wood, with muffled steps in the darkness;... 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: abcdcdcXefddbdXXXXaghXehdXdddgcfgfgXafXbbc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 42,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 010011110101 011010101010010 11010101101010010 11011100110100110 10 11011010011110110 10 1011110101111010 110 100110011101011010 110101 1101010111110101 1 1111101101001111 101 11110110111011 001111 11110100100110100 100110100010 11011010001010110 10 101101111110011001 01 1001001001010100100 1001 10101001010101010 01001 011010010101001 11101 11011111110100 11010 10100111010101011 01000101100100100 10 11101111110101110 101 111101010101110 11110010101100111 11 101110111110010 0101010010101001 0011110
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 2211
  • Average number of words per stanza: 345
  • Amount of lines: 42
  • Average number of symbols per line: 52 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; in, of, some, or, i are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words a, the are repeated.

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

  • summary of A March In The Ranks, Hard-Prest;
  • 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