Consider the title before analyzing the poem.
What thoughts or images does it bring to your mind? What does it suggest the poem will be about? Are there words you do not understand?
Restate each independent clause/sentence (or stanza, if the poem is longer) in your own words as simply and briefly as possible. Do not interpret. What is the poem literally saying?
What are the deeper implications of the images being used? What is the primary metaphor in the poem (consider the title) and what does it represent? Consider all figurative language.
Describe the tone of the speaker’s voice using an adjective. What is the speaker’s attitude towards the topic of the poem?
At what point does the most important shift in the speaker’s attitude or focus occur? It will almost assuredly be in the second half of the poem. The shift frequently occurs after transition words (like but, yet, however, although, therefore, etc), unique or definitive punctuation (like a dash, colon, semi-colon, ellipses, or even period), or a stanza break. The shift may also occur if and when the poem returns in some way to where it began.
What does the title suggest now? Does it now reveal a deeper meaning?
What message is being delivered about the main metaphorical concept?
Consider the title, attitude, and shift. Craft a theme statement that follows the five theme statement rules.

Title: from a child’s perspective? About love or nature?
Paraphrase: 1 – someone offered me a flower
2 – the flower was very special
3-4 – I did not accept the flower because I already have a rose-tree
5-6 – I went to my rose-tree to always take care of it
7 – my rose was jealous and turned away from me
8 – I was unable to enjoy its beauty or fragrance;
I could only feel its thorns
Connotation: pretty rose-tree = beautiful lover (named Rose?) flower = love
May = the time of perfect love thorns = anger? hatred?
Attitude/Tone: from proud to regretful?
Shift: The tone of the poem shifts at line 7. This is indicated with “but”.
Title 2: a beautiful, though not entirely pleasant, girl
Theme:
Beauty may not be as precious as love.