Analysing Poetry

I.
Analysing Poetry : The Unknown

When working through a poem, you may come across words, phrase or even entire sentences that you aren’t familiar with. In order to understand
the poem and its deeper meaning, you will need to familiarize yourself with those words, phrases and sentences.
In this station, you will be uncovering “the unknown”. Work through your poem by following the checklist below:
o Circle or underline words you are unfamiliar with. Use a dictionary or thesaurus to find the definition of or synonym for these words –
write the definition or synonym above or next to the words in your poem. This should be done for every word you do not know.
o Think about the poet’s choice of word. Why would the poet choose to use one specific word and not another? Could there have been a
specific purpose there? Indicate this on the poem.
o Use your knowledge of figurative language to your advantage. Find and identify ALL instances of figurative languages in the poem
(simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, etc)
o As you identify the use of figurative language and note that in the margins of your poem, elaborate by explaining what you believe the
poet meant by including that specific instance of figurative language.
II. Analysing Poetry : The Retelling

In order to understand a poem in depth, sometimes the best thing to do is rewrite what we DO understand using our own words. In this station,
you will be spending time working through the poem, line by line, re-writing each line or stanza.
Follow the instructions below to help you do this effectively:

o First, read the poem without writing anything on it.
o Them read through the poem line by line and stanza by stanza, retelling it as best as you can.
o You do not necessarily need to rewrite every line, but you should rewrite every stanza at least. However, there certainly will be lines that
you will need to rewrite in order for it to make sense.
o You should be writing your retelling directly on the poem itself (in the margins, next to or above each line)
o If you get stuck on a line or stanza that you don’t understand, skip it and come back to it once you’ve finished the rest of the poem.
Oftentimes, doing this will help you deduce what the poet may have been saying in the line or stanza that initially caused you confusion.
III. Analysing Poetry : The Questioning

This is where you get to push the envelope just a bit and play devil’s advocate. Questioning the poet and the poet’s purpose allows you to study
the poem through a different lens. You just might find something fascinating that you wouldn’t have normally considered had you not
questioned the poet.
Use this checklist to help you question the poet in an effective and academic way:
See how far you can push the poem – think outside the box. Ask yourself the following questions to help you come up with your own questions.
o Is this poem really just what it seems to be about?
o Is the poet making a larger social commentary here?
o What might have influenced the poet to write this poem?
Now that you have started thinking about each of these questions, come up with three questions of your own that directly relate to the
poem.
o Write your questions at the bottom of the poem.

o Then, answer each questions using evidence from the poem to support your reasoning.
IV. Analysing Poetry : The Theme

Let’s get to the heart of the poem by identifying the theme. Usually, the theme of a poem will relate tp a universal truth that recurs throughout
the poem and is the central idea. Literary themes often present a message and can be identified and written as a complete sentence.
Use the steps below to help you identify the theme and write a thematic statement about the poem. You may wish to write the thematic
statement you create at the top of your poem:
o Identify a significant topic in the poem.
o Start your sentence with “the author believes…” and explain what you think the author believes about the topic you chose. The statement
should not be specific to the text, but rather reflect a more universal truth, without being too vague.
o Cross out “the author believes” and you are left with a thematic statement.
Now that you have developed your thematic statement, choose a line from the poem that truly exemplifies the theme – highlight it. Then
answer the following questions on your poem.
o What deeper meaning does this line hold?

o What larger social commentary might this line be trying to point out?
V. Analysing Poetry : The Unnoticed

We will look at three aspects of poetry that often go unnoticed. Those are the title, the speaker and the tone. Use the questions below as you
work through each of these three aspects and answer them on the poem.
First, take a look at the title of the poem and answer these questions:
o Does the title provide you with any clues about the poem?
o How does the title relate to the poem, its theme and its message?
o Does the title make you think about the poem or view it differently?
Now, let’s talk about the speaker. Understanding the speaker has an impact on your overall understanding of the poetry.
Answer the following questions to get to know the speaker.
o Who’s the poem “telling”?

o Does the poem give you any hint about who the speaker might be? (age, race, personality, point of view)
o Does the speaker seem interested in what they’re sharing in the poem or do they seem indifferent? How might that play into your
understanding of the poem?
Finally, let’s get to the tone. Tone is the writer’s attitude towards the subject of the poem or the audience for the poem. Tone can also be
the general emotion of the poem.
o Pick one adjective that describes the overall tone of the poem. Then, write one sentence that incorporates that adjective and explains why
it represents the overall tone of the poem.

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I.

Analysing Poetry : The Unknown

II. Analysing Poetry : The Retelling

Follow the instructions below to help you do this effectively:

III. Analysing Poetry : The Questioning

o Write your questions at the bottom of the poem.

IV. Analysing Poetry : The Theme

o What deeper meaning does this line hold?

V. Analysing Poetry : The Unnoticed

o Who’s the poem “telling”?

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