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Do you feel like reading and analyzing poetry is like trying to decipher an ancient, lost art? Well, never fear! Whether you're working on an assignment for school or just critiquing it for fun, the process of analyzing poetry is easier than you think. Think about how the poem makes you feel, and look for clues in things like the poem's setting, characters, and imagery. Even the author's own life can give you clues into the poem's meaning!
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QuestionWhat should you look for when you're analyzing a poem?Alicia Cook is a Professional Writer based in Newark, New Jersey. With over 12 years of experience, Alicia specializes in poetry and uses her platform to advocate for families affected by addiction and to fight for breaking the stigma against addiction and mental illness. She holds a BA in English and Journalism from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Saint Peter’s University. Alicia is a bestselling poet with Andrews McMeel Publishing and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the NY Post, CNN, USA Today, the HuffPost, the LA Times, American Songwriter Magazine, and Bustle. She was named by Teen Vogue as one of the 10 social media poets to know and her poetry mixtape, “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately” was a finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards.Think about things like the flow, the meter whether it rhymes, the use of repetition, and the word choice. Also, look at the imagery and themes of the poem.
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QuestionWhat are the 5 elements of poetry?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerPoetry has many elements. However, a few of the most important are tone, figurative language (e.g., metaphor), imagery, rhythm, and devices such as alliteration, rhyme, or assonance.
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QuestionWhat are the rules for writing poetry?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerPoetry doesn’t really have specific rules, since it’s a very creative and personal form of expression. Typically, a poem focuses on creating a feeling by using strong imagery. However, some types of poetry follow a more formal structure—for example, specific rhyming schemes or rhythms. For instance, a haiku poem consists of 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables each.
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References
- ↑ https://www.teachforamerica.org/stories/how-to-analyze-a-poem-in-6-steps
- ↑ https://www.teachforamerica.org/stories/how-to-analyze-a-poem-in-6-steps
- ↑ https://writingcenter.tamu.edu/writing-speaking-guides/analyzing-poetry
- ↑ Alicia Cook. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 11 December 2020.
- ↑ https://writingcenter.tamu.edu/writing-speaking-guides/analyzing-poetry
- ↑ https://www.litcharts.com/literary-devices-and-terms/ballad
- ↑ https://literarydevices.net/haiku/
- ↑ https://www.teachforamerica.org/stories/how-to-analyze-a-poem-in-6-steps
- ↑ https://writingcenter.tamu.edu/writing-speaking-guides/analyzing-poetry
- ↑ https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47555/digging
- ↑ https://www.teachforamerica.org/stories/how-to-analyze-a-poem-in-6-steps
- ↑ https://writingcenter.tamu.edu/writing-speaking-guides/analyzing-poetry
- ↑ https://www.teachforamerica.org/stories/how-to-analyze-a-poem-in-6-steps
- ↑ https://writingcenter.tamu.edu/writing-speaking-guides/analyzing-poetry
- ↑ https://writingcenter.tamu.edu/writing-speaking-guides/analyzing-poetry
- ↑ Alicia Cook. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 11 December 2020.
- ↑ https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48999/daddy-56d22aafa45b2
- ↑ https://www.teachforamerica.org/stories/how-to-analyze-a-poem-in-6-steps
- ↑ https://writingcenter.tamu.edu/writing-speaking-guides/analyzing-poetry
About This Article
Article Summary
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To analyze poetry, read the poem aloud several times and note if there’s a rhyming pattern. It's also important to identify if the poem uses a traditional form, like a sonnet or haiku. Next, think about how the title might announce key ideas or insights into the poem. Once you've studied the poem from a macro angle, take a closer look. Circle repeated words and images and question how they support the central ideas of the poem. For tips on how to use the poem’s historical context to better understand its meaning, keep reading!
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- "I wanted some more help on analyzing poems for an English exam I have coming up. It is really important, so I need to do well. I did my research, found this and it helped me a lot. I use the website quite often, and it never fails to help me. Thanks for the post!" ..." more
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"I wanted some more help on analyzing poems for an English exam I have coming up. It is really important, so I need to do well. I did my research, found this and it helped me a lot. I use the website quite often, and it never fails to help me. Thanks for the post!"
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"This article simplified the art of interpreting poetry in a way that I actually understand it. I am about to take the state exam for language arts and I understand this article a lot better that the actual study guide designed for the test."
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"The clarity of each section and obvious sense were inspiring. Some of it I knew, but only bits, without cohesion. I've been asked to review a book of poems written by a friend: this tutorial has given me a format, a structure."
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"To analyze a poem takes a lot of practice. This article will definitely help me to critically analyze a poem."
