Scribd
Upload
334 views2 pages

Poetry Analysis for Educators

This document outlines a 7-step process for analyzing poetry: 1) Read the poem multiple times, 2) Consider the title and how it relates to the poem, 3) Understand the speaker and their perspective, 4) Analyze the mood and tone, 5) Paraphrase each line, 6) Identify the overarching theme, 7) Consider how punctuation impacts the reading experience. The steps guide students to closely examine poetic elements like structure, figurative language, perspective and ultimately interpret the core theme.

Uploaded by

Hadassah Phillip
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
334 views2 pages

Poetry Analysis for Educators

This document outlines a 7-step process for analyzing poetry: 1) Read the poem multiple times, 2) Consider the title and how it relates to the poem, 3) Understand the speaker and their perspective, 4) Analyze the mood and tone, 5) Paraphrase each line, 6) Identify the overarching theme, 7) Consider how punctuation impacts the reading experience. The steps guide students to closely examine poetic elements like structure, figurative language, perspective and ultimately interpret the core theme.

Uploaded by

Hadassah Phillip
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Analyzing poetry

Step One: Read


Have your students read the poem once to themselves and then aloud, all the way through, at LEAST
twice. Feel free to play a recording of the poem or show a video of someone reading the poem, too.
Afterward, talk to your class about their first impression and immediate responses, both positive and
negative. Also, discuss the poem’s structure and rhythm. For example, are the lines short and meant to be
read slow? Or, does the poem move fast, and if so, why?

Step Two: Title


Think about the title and how it relates to the poem. Titles often provide important clues about what is at
the heart of a piece. Likewise, a title may work ironically or in opposition to a poem. Questions to talk
about and consider are:

• Does the title immediately change how you think about it?
• Does the poem’s title paint a picture that gives a specific time frame, setting or action?
• Does it imply multiple possibilities?

Step Three: Speaker


Understanding the speaker is at the center of a poem may help the piece appear more tangible to students
because they’re able to imagine a person behind the language. Questions to consider are:

• Who “tells” the poem?


• Does the poem give any clues about the speaker’s personality, the point of view, age, or gender?
• Who is the speaker addressing?
• Does the speaker seem attached or detached from what is said?

Step Four: Mood and Tone

After talking about the speaker, it’s important to address the attitude or mood the poem is attempting to
convey. Some can be brooding or grieving; others may have a song-like cadence and rhyme. Discuss the
attitude each speaker or characters give off. Moreover, talk about if there places where the poem's tone
may switch and why. This is also a good time to talk syntax and the effect certain words have on us.
Step Five: Paraphrase
Since you discussed figurative language, mood, setting, and speaker—there’s no better time than to apply
what you’ve learned line-by-line. Paraphrasing may seem pretty self-explanatory. However, keep in mind
this is not about skipping lines or condensing. Instead you should lead students line-by-line and translate
figurative language or unclear phrases into simpler terms that will not get in the way of analyzing the
poem later on.

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. The
theme of a poem relates to a universal truth, issue, or conflict. To determine the theme, look over all of
your analysis and connect the dots:
1. What is the subject?
2. Who is the speaker?
3. What situation are they in?
4. How do they feel about the subject?
5. What is the mood?

Step Seven: Punctuation


Punctuation gives the reader a brief release in tension, allowing him/her to pause for a moment and
consider what has been read so far. This is why you must be thoughtful in where you break the line
because your choices will affect the reader’s experience of the flow and motion of the poem

You might also like