Poetry Analysis
Understanding the poem
LINEATION AND STANZAS

Line length in formal verse. Do the lines appear to
be about the same length, or are there patterns of short
and long lines organized in stanzas? (In formal verse
written in English, line length is usually counted in units
called “metrical feet.” For instance, lines containing five
metrical feet are called “pentameter” lines. Most sonnets
contain 14 pentameter lines.)

Line length in a free verse poem. Do you see
patterns or modulation in line length? Do lines get
gradually longer or gradually shorter? Does line length
somehow correspond to the content?
LINEATION AND STANZAS
o
Line breaks. Why do the lines break where they do? Be aware of
how line breaks can contribute to such artistic effects as rhythm,
energy, suspense, and ambiguity.
 End-stopped and Enjambed lines. Count the number of enjambed
lines (lines without punctuation at the end). Does the poem have
more end-stopped lines or more enjambed lines? This is related to
the poet’s decisions about line breaks. The liberal use of
enjambment creates a more open, flowing feeling.
o
Stanzas. Do the stanzas contain a set number of lines? Do they
follow a pattern of longer and shorter lines? Do they have any
particular shape? In a free verse poem, what function do the stanza
breaks (blank lines between the stanzas) serve?
Conventions of Meaning: Diction,
Figurative Language, and Speech Acts

Diction. Poetry can be written in high, middle, and low diction.
High diction is the most elevated language. Low diction is the most
colloquial or common language.

Words and word families. Consider the etymologies and
connotations of words carefully. Look for words related to each other
by etymology, sound, or appearance. Look up word etymologies in
the Oxford English Dictionary.

Figurative language. Consider the use of figures of speech
such as metaphor, simile, oxymoron, synecdoche, metonymy,
hyperbole, allegory, etc.

Speech acts. A poem can be analyzed as a sequence of speech
acts. Speech acts are particular forms of address such as apology,
exhortation, apostrophe, lament, etc.
Sound, Rhythm, and Repetition

Words: sound & weight. Do you see sound patterns such as
alliteration, assonance, or consonance? Be aware that all syllables
are not equal in weight; some take longer to say than others.
Patterns in either sound or weight are significant aspects of
technique.

End rhyme and internal rhyme. End rhyme, which is more
common in formal verse than in free verse, occurs when rhyming
words appear at the ends of lines. Look for patterns of end rhyme;
such patterns are called the “rhyme scheme.” Internal rhyme occurs
when rhyming words appear anywhere other than the ends of lines.

Slant rhyme (or “near rhyme”). Notice the use of inexact
rhymes. Such “slant rhymes” or “near rhymes” do not stand out as
much as exact rhymes
Rhythm
 Meter (formal verse). The rhythm of formal
verse is more-or-less regular, and its pattern is
called “meter.” Do some research on the Internet
for tips on how to determine the meter and
analyze the rhythm of formal verse.

Rhythm (free verse). The rhythm of a free
verse poem is irregular, and for this reason it is
not possible to determine metrical feet;
nevertheless, you can still mark the stresses or
hear more-or-less subtle rhythms. How does
rhythm serve the feeling and sense of the
poem?
….and Repetition

Punctuation. Is punctuation missing where you expect it, or
present in ways you don’t expect? Does the poet use line breaks to
suggest punctuation? Does punctuation tend to occur at the ends of
lines or in the middle of lines? (This is related to the practice of
enjambment. See above.)

Repetition of words, phrases and lines. Repetition can serve
to enforce—more or less subtly, depending on how obvious it is—
ideas and emotions. It is also an aspect of rhythm. Repetition of
words and phrases at the beginnings of lines is called anaphora,
and a poem composed of a number of lines that all begin the same
way participates in a tradition the goes back to ancient oratory, the
Bible and the liturgy.

Repetition of Syntactical Structures. Look at the sentences in
the poem. Are they short, long, or some combination? Do you see
patterns in sentence structure? Does the poet use a number of
rhetorical questions or antithetical statements, for instance?
Visual Effects


Graphic Format. Look at the poem on the page.
Notice its general shape, as well as the shapes of the
stanzas. Does the poet manipulate the graphic or visual
aspect of the poem with unexpected capitalization,
variations in font or font-size, spacing, etc.?

Capitalization. Is capitalization missing where you
expect it (as in e.e. cumming’s poems), or present where
you wouldn’t expect it? Be aware of the ways in which
unexpected capitalization can shift the function of a word
or make it ambiguous.
Assignment
 Monday- Read and work on TPCASTT for first poem.
Save to word document and submit on Moodle no later
than Monday night 11 pm, weather or no)
 Tuesday- Work on second poem from same poet,
TPCASTT and submit to Moodle no later than Tuesday
night 11 pm (weather or no).
 Wednesday- work in class on finding evidence from the
poem to speak intelligently about the techniques the poet
uses and the effect of those techniques on the reader.
 Thursday- Complete your poetic analysis over one
poem. Be prepared to present on Friday in class.
 Friday- Poetic analysis turned into Moodle in power point
format.
Poets and choices:
Choose one poet from this list
 Emily Dickenson
 Robert Frost
 Robert Hayden
 Sara Teasdale
 Pablo Neruda
 Robert Browning
 D.H. Lawrence
 William Shakespeare
 Langston Hughes
Assignment
 Read one poem from the book and complete the
TPCASTT
 Choose one other poem from the same author
using another resource, i.e. book. Internet,
database
 Use Facts on File or Gale to access at least one
literary criticism of the title and one biography of
the author. Cite your source in your power point
 Power point rubric will be uploaded by
Wednesday on the web site.
Where to Find?
Facts on File and Gale
Name is “northwesths”
Password is “Texans”
Login to blue lit book is
http://my.hrw.com