Poetry Analysis
English 9 – Mrs. Mace
Name: ______________________
Period: _____
You may wonder why we are looking at poetry when we haven’t yet really addressed The Book Thief. What we
are doing will better prepare you to do the kind of analysis we will be continuing all year long, and will help you
develop the skills you need to effectively analyse both The Book Thief and your own independent Summer
reading, as well as the additional literary works we will address this year.
I love poetry because it uses words in an intense, concentrated way to create an effect or to convey a message. It
is the poet’s skillful and economic manipulation of words that make poetry so wonderful. You will be amazed
when you begin to understand how powerful words can be – just changing their order, or breaking a line at a
particular place, or using a series of words with a specific connotation – all of these things are powerful means of
conveying meaning and emotion, simple though they may be.
As you begin to understand how words work in poetry, you will also begin to see how they function in prose (any
writing that is NOT verse/poetry). You will also, I hope, begin to appreciate the beauty and wonder of poetry, as
well as the amazing nature or WORDS themselves.
To Read and Understand a Poem
TASK: Read the accompanying poem, “Piano” by D.H. Lawrence. Then complete the exercises, and answer the
questions. PLEASE DO mark up the poem! Make notations indicating words and phrase – anything you
deem meaningful. You will share these with the class.
1.
Just READ the poem – silently, then out loud. Write down your initial impressions and feelings.
2.
What is LITERALLY occurring in the poem? What other meaning, besides the literal events, do you think
the author wants you to consider or understand? What words and phrases suggest this?
3.
Is the title significant? Explain your answer.
4.
What do you think the author wants you to FEEL as you read? What emotional response is s/he trying to
evoke? What MAKES you feel this way? What words or phrases cause or suggest a certain feeling?
5.
Are there any words/phrases/images that immediately attract your attention? Anything unfamiliar or
unusual? What? What is your response to these words? What do you think of or feel when you encounter
these words and ideas?
6.
Is there anything striking about the appearance or organization of the lines of the poem? Do lines and
sentences “run into” one another or are the “cut off” – ending abruptly? Are sentences “split” between
lines in an unusual way? What is the effect of the organization of the ideas and sentences of the poem?
7.
Consider each of the following literary devices commonly used in poetry. Do any of these appear here?
Which ones? Where? Make notations on the poem of any that appear, that you deem significant. Be
prepared to discuss these.
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8.
Imagery
Figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification)
Allusions
Alliteration, or other sound devices (onomatopoeia)
Tone
Repetition – of words or phrases
Series of words or phrases that seem to form a progression of ideas
Unusual word order
Unusual punctuation or capitalization
Shift in focus – Look at the pronouns used. Whom does the poem seem to address? Who is the
narrator, if any? I s this significant?
Do any words phrases have a significant connotation or denotation that adds meaning to the
poem?
Irony
Juxtaposition of contrasting ideas?
Rhythm or sense of movement?
After your analysis, what do you think this poem is about? Try to phrase this in a clear, concise sentence.