Poetry Analysis Handout - for any poem
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© 2023 Zac’s Teaching Resources
Analyse Poetry in 4 Steps: Poetry Deconstruct Guide
Getting started:
Read your poem aloud several times to get a sense of the rhythm and feel
Then read it several times silently, paying greater attention to the written words
Circle any words you don’t understand and research them as they may refer to an
important person, moment or object in history
After you’ve done that, you’re ready to begin deconstructing your poem - which
means breaking it into smaller parts and finding out how these parts work to
create meaning.
Step 1: Structure and subject matter
What type of poem is it and how is it structured?
Can you group words into particular concepts?
List some of the ideas you think are in the poem.
What do you think the message of the poem is?
How does the structure of the poem support this
message?
Could research about the poet and subject matter help your analysis? If so do a
bit more research on the author’s context. When and where was it written?
Step 2: Language
Do you think the language is appropriate? Is it vivid? Shocking? Flowery?
What powerful words are used, especially verbs and adjectives?
Is repetition used? If so, to what effect?
How has punctuation added to meaning?
What feelings are aroused by particular words?
Step 3: Visual and Auditory Imagery
Find the similes, metaphors, personifications in the
poem.
What are some of the important symbols?
What is the effect of this visual imagery?
How does it support the message of the poem?
Find alliteration/ assonance, onomatopoeia, rhythm and rhyme?
What is the effect of this auditory imagery?
How does it support the message of the poem?
Step 4: Mood, Emotion and Reflection
What is the author’s tone and the mood for the audience in the poem?
Is the poet sad, serious, angry, flippant, satirical, or contemplative?
Does the mood change throughout? If so, to what effect?
What connections can you make between the poem, the world, and your life?
© 2023 Zac’s Teaching Resources
