Poetry
12/3/19
How to Analyze Poetry in 6 steps:
1) READ it several times
First impression – positive or
negative?
Look for the structure & gauge your
speed on reading it.
2) TITLE
Provides ‘clues’ as to what is at the
HEART of the poem.
Paint a picture in your mind.
3) SPEAKER
Who is telling or writing the poem?
Do you have any clues as to the
poet’s personality?
Who is the poet’s audience, in other
words, who is he/she speaking to?
4) MOOD & TONE
What attitude is the poem trying to
convey?
Also, be on the lookout for IF the
mood changes!
5) Paraphrase
*****Line by line, translate the
‘figurative language.’
6) THEME
‘Core’ of the poem
The theme of the poem relates to a
universal truth, issue, or conflict.
To determine the theme, ask
yourself these questions:
a. What is the subject?
b. Who is the speaker?
c. What situation are they in?
d. How do they feel about the
subject?
e. What is the mood?