Q&A for How to Analyze Poetry

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What should you look for when you're analyzing a poem?

Alicia Cook
Professional Writer
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.

Alicia Cook

Professional Writer

Expert Answer

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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What are the 5 elements of poetry?

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Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Staff Answer

Poetry 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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What are the rules for writing poetry?

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wikiHow Staff Editor

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Poetry 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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How do you explain poetry?

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If you’re trying to explain a specific poem, you can try summarizing what you think the author was trying to say. You might also describe the techniques they used to convey their message, such as metaphor or rhyme.

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How do I identify key words in a poem?

Community Answer

All poetry is different, but there are a number of things to look for that can help you identify key words. Look for words that are repeated because repetition creates an emphasis on a particular word. Words that are inappropriately capitalized could be key words too. Think about the overall theme of the poem and look for words that tie into that meaning.

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How do I analyze a love poem?

Community Answer

Keep it simple. Start with the literal meaning, then proceed to the connotative, comparison connection meaning. Then fish out the symbols, symbolics, references and allusions. End with a hearty conclusion.

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Question

How do I know its a poem?

Donagan

Top Answerer

It's a poem if it is not expressed in normal forms of language -- in other words, if it's not prose. A poem often (but not always) features symbolism, imaginative imagery, rhythmic meter and patterns of rhyme.

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How do I analyze parts of a poem, such as similes and metaphors?

Community Answer

First, you would need to look at the connotations of the simile and/or metaphor. What ideas do they portray to the reader? Then, zoom in on the connotations of a specific keyword, and talk about the relations it has with the poem.

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Question

How can I write a nonsense poem?

Community Answer

Write when you're uninspired. Don't put any rhymes, feeling, or refer to anything specific.

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How do I summarize a poem?

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You have to understand what the poem is about and define the main idea.

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Do I have to connect the poet's biography with the poem itself in the analysis?

Community Answer

You don't have to, but it could add more meaning to the analysis.

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Question

Do you know any poem that involves poetic techniques such as similes, personification, metaphors, etc.?

Donagan

Top Answerer

A famous one is "Ode On A Grecian Urn" by John Keats.

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