This is an analysis of the poem I Saw Old General At Bay that begins with:

I SAW old General at bay;
(Old as he was, his grey eyes yet shone out in battle like stars;)... 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: abXXXaXXXb
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 10,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11110011 111101111101011 0111101010001 11110101010010100 0100 1101011110011111 0010 1100111001110010 1001101 110010100101011
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 513
  • Average number of words per stanza: 86
  • Amount of lines: 10
  • Average number of symbols per line: 50 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 9
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; his, in are repeated.

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

  • summary of I Saw Old General At Bay;
  • 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