Poetry Analysis: Notes for Exam Preparation

Central Questions:
- What is the poem about?
- What is the story of the poem?
- Who is the poem about?
Title Significance:
- How and why is the title significant?
Narrative and Plot:
- What events unfold in the poem?
Literal vs. Metaphorical Meaning:
- Is the poem's meaning literal, or does it function as a metaphor for something else?
Influences on the Poet:
- What factors may have influenced the poet's work?
Setting Analysis:
- Where is the poem set?
- Are there multiple settings? What do these settings represent?
Tone and Mood:
- What is the tone/mood of the poem? Does it change, and if so, how and why?
Emotional Conveyance:
- What emotions or feelings are conveyed? How and why are they conveyed?
Contextual Understanding:
- How does context enhance understanding and interpretation of the poem?
Thematic Exploration:
- What are the themes present in the poem?
- How do these themes connect to the poem's subject and the poet's intentions?
Main Issues:
- What main issues are explored in the poem?

Poet's Message:
- What message does the poet want to convey?
- What does the poet want the reader to understand?
Poet's Purpose:
- Why did the poet write this poem?
- What concerns or ideas are reflected in the poem?
Moral, Religious, Philosophical Dimensions:
- Is there a moral, religious, or philosophical lesson embedded in the poem?
Universal vs. Personal Message:
- Is the message universal, personal, or societal?
Desired Impact:
- Why does the poet want to leave the reader with this particular message?
Contextual Interpretation:
- How can contextual knowledge deepen the interpretation of the poem's meaning or message?

Speaker Identification:
- Whose perspective is presented in the poem?
- Whose voice is heard; who is the speaker? How can this be determined?
Speaker's Situation:
- What situation is the speaker in?
- What is their significance to the story being told?
Poet's Choice of Voice:
- Why did the poet choose this particular voice?
Persona Analysis:
- What insights do we gain about the created persona?
- What is their attitude, and how is it conveyed?
- How does the speaker feel, and how are these feelings expressed?
Additional Characters:
- Are there other characters in the poem? What roles do they play?
Top Tip:
- Continuously question WHY and HOW.
- Why has a specific technique been used?
- How has it been implemented?
- Why has this particular form been chosen?
- Relate everything back to the poem's subject, themes, message, and relevant context.

Methods as Tools:
- Poetic methods are the poet's toolbox.
Identification and Effect:
- Identify the methods used by the poet and analyze their effects.
Beyond Technique Spotting:
- Do not merely identify techniques; consider why they were used.
- How do the techniques reinforce the message, and what effect do they have on the reader?
Utilizing Initial Notes:
- Use the notes from Step 1 to aid in this analysis.

Word Choice:
- What types of words have been used?
Word Classes and Connotations:
- Identify word classes.
- What are the connotations of these words?
- Why were these words chosen?
- What do they suggest about the speaker, characters, or topic?
- How do these words enhance a technique, or vice versa?
Patterns in Language:
- Are there any patterns in the language used?

Identification:
- Identify the various techniques used in the poem.
Purpose and Effect:
- Why have these techniques been used?
- What is their effect on the poem?
Reinforcement of Meaning:
- How do the techniques reinforce the message/meaning of the poem?
Creation of Tone/Mood:
- How do the techniques contribute to creating a specific tone or mood?
Interpretation of Meaning:
- How can you interpret meaning through these techniques?
Revelation of Elements:
- What do these techniques reveal about character, action, events, settings, or relationships?
Reflection of Themes:
- How do the techniques reflect the themes of the poem?

Overall Structure:
- What can be said about the poem's overall structure?
Organization in Stages:
- Is the poem organized in stages?
Progression of Ideas:
- How do ideas progress throughout the stanzas?
Organization of Ideas:
- How are the ideas organized within the poem?
Consistency and Shifts:
- Does the tone remain consistent, or does it change?
- Does the setting change throughout the poem?
- Is there a shift in the direction of the poem? If so, at what point does it occur?
Beginning and End:
- How does the poem begin and end?
Visual Appearance:
- How does the poem look on the page? What is the effect of its visual presentation?
Stanzas and Line Length:
- What observations can be made about the stanzas and line lengths?
Tense:
- What tense is the poem written in?
Person:
- In what person is the poem written?
Rhyme Scheme:
- Is there a rhyme scheme present in the poem?
Rhythm:
- Is there a rhythm? How is it created, and why?

This acronym helps to understand, interpret, and analyze a poem.

A framework to guide personal response, method analysis, and understanding of the poet's intention.

Personal Response:
- What do you see?
- What do you think?
- What is your impression?
- What is your view?
- What do you learn?
- What do you understand?
Presentation:
- What is being presented?
- What is the poet showing you?
Key Elements:
- What can you say about the speaker, message, themes, and poet’s methods?

Poet's Intention:
- Why does the poet do this?
- Why does the poet present it in this way?
- Why does the poet want you to feel this way?
Technique Justification:
- Why has this word/technique been used?
Encouragement:
- Regularly use these questions to further develop your ideas.