This is an analysis of the poem The Negro's Complaint that begins with:

Forc'd from home and all its pleasures,
Afric's coast I left forlorn;... 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: ababcdcdefefbgbgehehdadaicicaaaiiaiXjXjdbdbikikededaXaa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 55,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10111010 1011101 00101010 10010101 10101111 1110101 11111011 1110001 10111110 1110111 10101010 1010101 10111010 1010101 11101010 1011101 10101010 1011111 11101110 1011101 11101010 10111001 11101110 1011101 01110111 0111111 11111111 1000101 11011010 1010101 10111010 1000001 1010101 10111011 1010111 10101100 1011101 11101000 1010101 11101010 1110101 10101110 1001101 11101111 0010101 10111011 1010101 111010110 1110111 100001110 1010011 10111010 1011101 11111010 1110101
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 1806
  • Average number of words per stanza: 317
  • Amount of lines: 55
  • Average number of symbols per line: 32 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; to, me, must, of are repeated.

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

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

  • summary of The Negro's Complaint;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by William Cowper