How can i analyze a poem

If not, readers should consider that translation can alter the language and meaning of a poem. Is the poem part of a special collection or series? Examples of such series and collections include Edna St. Does the poem belong to a particular period or literary movement? For example, does the poem relate to imagism, confessional verse, the Beat movement, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights era, the American Indian renaissance, or feminism?

Readers should apply definitions of the many categories to determine which describes the poem's length and style:. Is it an epic, a long poem about a great person or national hero? Is it a lyric, a short, musical verse? Is it a haiku, an intense, lyrical three-line verse of seventeen syllables? Is it confessional? For example, does it examine personal memories and experiences?

Is the title's meaning obvious? For example, does it mention a single setting and action, such as W. Does it imply multiple possibilities? For example, Jean Toomer's "Georgia Dusk," which refers to a time of day as well as to dark-skinned people.

Is there an obvious antithesis, as with Robert Frost's "Fire and Ice"? Is there historical significance to the title? Readers should read through a poem several times, at least once aloud. If it is a long poem, such as Allen Ginsberg's Howl or Hart Crane's The Bridge, readers should concentrate on key passages and look for repetition of specific words, phrases, or verses in the poem. Why is there a repeated reference to the sea in Robinson Jeffers's poetry?

If readers note repetition in the poem, they should decide why certain information seems to deserve the repetition. Does the poet place significant information or emotion in these places? For example, when reading Marianne Moore's "Poetry," readers may question the negative stance in the opening lines. Does the poet intend to leave a lasting impression by closing with a particular thought?

For example, why does Langston Hughes' "Harlem" lead to the word "explode"? Can readers pin down a time frame? What details specify time? Does the poet name a particular month or season, as with Amy Lowell's "Patterns"? Is there a clear passage of time, as with the decline of the deceased woman in Denise Levertov's "Death in Mexico"? Who is the speaker? Is the person male or female? Does the speaker talk directly to a second person, as with Adrienne Rich's "Diving into the Wreck"?

Is the voice meant to be universal — for example, applicable to either sex at any time or place? Does the name of a character suggest extra meaning, such as Eben Flood an alcoholic in Edwin Arlington Robinson's "Mr. Flood's Party" and T. Eliot's prissy protagonist in "The Love Song of J. At Teach For America, we know lasting change can happen: All children will get the excellent education they deserve.

Teaching Tips. Step Two: Title Think about the title and how it relates to the poem. Questions to talk about and consider are: Does the title immediately change how you think about it?

Does it imply multiple possibilities? Who is the speaker addressing? Does the speaker seem attached or detached from what is said? Black students don't suffer from a loss of talent. Instead, disparate access to opportunities inhibits too many black students from developing their skills and talents, one educator says.

Step Six: Theme Last but not least, it's time to get to the core of what the poem is about by identifying its theme. To determine the theme, look over all of your analysis and connect the dots: What is the subject? Who is the speaker? What situation are they in? How do they feel about the subject? What is the mood?

Stay Connected We're a diverse network of leaders committed to expanding opportunity for all children. Content is loading Topics: Teaching Tips. Her poem made a defiant statement, and she was arrested for it. A little extra research about a poet and their life can go a long way in improving your understanding of their poetry. Take some time to read up on the context.

Poetry analysis questions to ask about context:. Mood and tone are similar, but the distinction between the two is important. Mood refers to the feeling the audience gets from the writing. I ask them to take a poem. I say drop a mouse into a poem. I want them to waterski. But all they want to do. They begin beating it with a hose. In the first four stanzas, the mood of this poem is of wonder and exploration. However, in the later stanzas, the mood becomes darker and sinister.

The mood shift and how and why Collins creates it is a strong point of analysis. Tone, as mentioned earlier, is a little different than mood. Tone refers to the attitude the writer has towards the subject they are writing about. For example, the tone of a poem could be satirical, serious, humorous, critical, or appreciative.

It is a God-damned lie to say that these. They were professional murderers and they took. Their blood money and their impious risks and died. In spite of all their kind some elements of worth. With difficulty persist here and there on earth. As previously mentioned, the tone is how the writer feels about the subject of their poem.

The subject here is mercenary soldiers. The tone of the poem is undeniably contemptuous and angry. Taking note of this tone creates an opportunity for analysis on how MacDiarmid conveys the tone and why he feels so strongly about mercenary soldiers. Poetry analysis questions to ask about mood and tone:. Literary devices are techniques writers use to produce special effects in their writing. As such, an analysis of a poem based on literary devices can go in many directions. A few of them have been highlighted below.

Remember the time you lent me your car and I dented it? Remember the time I forgot to tell you the dance was. There were plenty of things you did to put up with me,. To learn how to analyze repetition in a poem, first, find the repeating phrases. Secondly, assess their function and contribution to the poem. The repetition of both phrases creates a framework for the poem.

It is important to consider this when figuring out how to analyze a poem. Meanwhile, sensory language is words and phrases that create vividity in writing. This vividness is created by appealing to the senses. Both are employed by writers to add depth to their work. All the sounds that burst from morning. Your smile on the grass, on the radiant dew. This stanza is rich with sensory language. The description of sunlight on the bed, the sounds of birds in the morning and dew on the grass creates a strong image of a serene morning.

The resulting effect is a vivid and entrancing poem. There are many other literary devices that are frequently found in poetry including metaphors, personification, flashbacks, symbolism, diction, and more.

These can all be analyzed in a similar manner as highlighted above. Poetry analysis questions to ask about literary devices:. Poetry allows for eccentric language and structure use in a way that no other literary form does. This makes for engaging reads and great points of analysis.

Explain yuself. Wha u mean. When yu say half-caste. Yu mean when light an shadow. Mix in de sky. Is a half-caste weather?? Well in dat case. England weather.