Guidelines for approaching a poem

1. Read the poem several times and make sure that you understand its language and
basic prose sense. Look up unfamiliar words. Take note of the title.

2. Re-read the poem, aloud if possible, and listen to it. How does the sound relate to the
meaning?

3. Ask yourself the following questions:

* Who is the poet? [This is not always important, but it can be useful. Learn to select
information which is actually relevant to the poem.]
* Who is speaking? [Poet-speaker, voice, persona, tone]
* What is the poem saying? [Theme, subject]
* How is it being said?

4. Pay close attention to the following features and make sure you understand the terms
listed in connection with them:

*Sound: Rhythm, metre, rhyme, sound effects e.g. alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia
and repetition
*Sequence: (i) Structure, genre e.g. ballad, sonnet, ode, elegy, stanza, run-on line. (ii)
Argument, narrative, sense unit.
*Language: Diction, syntax
*Imagery: Tenor, vehicle, metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, symbol

5. What else should be noticed?

Re-read the poem and reconsider what the poem is saying. You should find that your
understanding of the poem has deepened, allowing you to respond to it more fully. It is
also important to note that this approach does not simply focus on the content or meaning
of the poem. Instead, if you follow the steps given above, you will begin to understand
how words, sounds and images can be used to convey meaning more powerfully.

Once you have considered all of these and made rough notes for yourself on the text of
the poem, you can begin to write an analytical essay.
 Guidelines for writing about a poem
The three most important considerations to bear in mind when writing a critical analysis of a
poem are the following:
*Your analysis should follow from a close reading of the poem.
*Your analysis should consider both what is being said and how it is being said.
*Your analysis should itself be ordered and carefully expressed.

The following plan outlines a way in which it is possible to achieve these objectives.

Introduction (1-2 paragraphs)

In this you should:
*Briefly state the subject of the poem or give a brief summary of the narrative or argument.
*Equally briefly outline the design of the poem and where appropriate identify its genre.
*Where it would be helpful, place the poem in its historical context.
Main body of the analysis
Your analysis should be organised in such a way that you
(a) trace the poet’s theme(s) by following the argument stage by stage,
(b) fill in the details of the outline of the design given in the introduction, and
(c) relate what you say about each part to the whole and, thus, combine analysis with
synthesis.
Essentially you should move through the poem sense unit by sense unit answering the
following questions:
(i) What is being said?
(ii) How is it being said?
(iii) Why is it being said in this way?
Write one paragraph for each sense unit and signpost your essay, showing exactly what you
are doing and which part of the poem you have reached. Avoid repetition by selecting those
features which seem to you to be the most striking and organizing your discussion to
highlight these.
Conclusion
In a paragraph or two summarise your impressions and state your conclusions. Try to present
the poem in a new light. Do not repeat what you have already said.

Some general advice

Be systematic. Start at the beginning of the poem and work to the end. Do not leave parts out.
Do not confuse paraphrasing with commenting.
Present your findings, not your rough work.
Briefly describe the verse form early in your essay so that, in the rest of it, you need only
comment on divergences from the pattern.
Avoid unnecessary repetition.
Never mention technique without relating it to meaning.
Do not write a paragraph on each separate feature of the poem like sense, imagery, etc. This
will fragment your discussion and make it easier for you to neglect vital aspects of the poem.
Always acknowledge your debts to other critics. Plagiarism is the academic equivalent of
theft. Try to remember that the main purpose of the analysis should be to increase your
understanding of the poem, heighten your awareness of the poet’s intentions and enhance
your appreciation of the poet’s technical skills.