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

As I walked down the waterside
This silent morning, wet and dark; ... 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: Xabaaa XcXcdD Xbcbee XacadD
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 6,6,6,6,
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Metre: 11110100 01010111 01010101 01010101 010100111 11100101 11110100 01000111 110101011 10011101 11011111 11011111 11010100 01011101 11011101 01110111 11100101 10011101 11110100 11010001 01011011 11010111 11011111 11011111
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 211
  • Average number of words per stanza: 39
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 34 (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; and is repeated.

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

    The author used the same word as at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

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

  • summary of The Sleepers;
  • 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 Henry Davies