This is an analysis of the poem Shadow Hand that begins with:

Duporte the roofer that calm voice
those sure hands gentling weathered tiles ...

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: XabXXaXcbXadadacXXeeaa XX
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 22,2,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 10010111 11110101 00110101 10110101 11110001 01110011 11100110 11011001 10011111 10111011 11010101 00110010 10110110 11111100 11110010 11110111 10111101 10111011 10101101 11100110 01110010 00101010 0111010 1001010101011
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 410
  • Average number of words per stanza: 77
  • Amount of lines: 25
  • 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; it, and, in are repeated.

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

  • summary of Shadow Hand;
  • 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 Stanley Merwin