Analyzing Poetry

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Analyzing Poetry
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Step One

• Read the poem several times. Multiple
  readings are required in order to get a feel for
  the poems theme and emotion. Often, reading it
  aloud will help you recognize how the grammar and
  form function as well as feel the emotion it is
  intended to evoke.

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Step Two

• Note any words or phrases you do not
  understand in the poem, including in the title,
  and use a dictionary to look them up. It is
  imperative to know the meaning of every word used
  in the work as poets choose them carefully.

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Step Three

• Establish the dramatic situation of the poem
  by determining who the speaker is (it is not
  always the poet), where the poem takes place and
  what actually happens during the work.
  Understanding these things will help you
  recognize point of view, imagery and dramatic
  element necessary to analyze the poems meaning.

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Step Four

• Study the poem line by line, noting the form
  and rhyme scheme. Label each line of the first
  verse to identify the pattern. (ie. AABA, AABB,
  ABAB, etc.)

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Step Five

• Interpret sensory images and objects by
  analyzing what they signify, or the emotion they
  evoke. Sometimes this may be a single object such
  as a rose or an active image such as a funeral
  procession. Brainstorm what these things mean and
  how they make you feel to help unravel the theme
  and tone of the poem.

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Step Six

• Label all examples of figurative language
  such as simile, metaphor and personification.
  Write a brief phrase of interpretation.

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Step Seven

• Write one paragraph in which you explain your
  findings from steps one through four.
• Write another paragraph to describe the
  meaning and theme the poet wanted to convey using
  information from steps five through seven.

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Now Give It a Try!

• Go to the resource on Moodle labeled The
  Daffodils. Save your own copy of this resource
  and complete the poetry analysis steps using the
  guide included with the poem!