"The Forge" can be analyzed through its poetic craft elements. It is an unusual sonnet, in that it doesn't adhere to its rules. It starts with a sonnet rhyme scheme. Once this is established, however, it doesn't stick to the octet and sestet guidelines. Additionally, the poem is narrated from a first person point of view, with the narrator referring to childhood memories of passing by a local blacksmith's forge. The recollections are illustrated in passionate detail so that the reader has a strong impression of immediacy and intimacy. The poet’s strong visual imagination captures the reader’s eye like the 'smith’s handling of their tools of trade' places the reader in direct sensory relation with the subject matter. In addition, the poet doesn't make direct assumptions or conclusions; he lets the reader do his own interpretations of events while reading the poem.