How to analyse a poem

When analysing a poem follow the SITT Acronym: Structure, Imagery, Tone and Theme

Structure

Meter: Meter is the rhythmic structure within a poem and is dictated by the number of syllables and the pattern in which these syllables are emphasised.

Rhyme: Rhyme is created when the last one or more syllables within separate words match. A poem is considered to rhyme when the last words of the lines within the verse share this relationship.

Stanza: A stanza is a group of lines within the verse of a poem. They often follow a similar pattern or meter or contain a similar idea, but not always.

Enjambment: Enjambment is the continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break. Enjambment has the effect of encouraging the reader to continue reading from one line to the next.

Imagery

Figures of speech: Simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, litote, euphemism, oxymoron, irony, pun, repetition.

Diction:

Diction is word choice. Poets try to choose the best most expressive words.

Tone and mood

Tone: Tone is the attitude or emotion that the poet or character in the poem is feeling. Examples of tones could be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical, and so on.

Mood: Mood is the attitude or emotion of the reader in response to a poem. For instance, a poem that begins "It was a dark and stormy night" will probably have an overall dark, ominous, or suspenseful mood.

Theme

Theme: is a universal idea, lesson, or message. Themes are almost never stated explicitly. Oftentimes you can identify a work's themes by looking for a repeating idea or phrase that appears again and again throughout a poem.

Common Questions:

1. Identify the structure of the poem and explain the effectiveness.

2. Identify the figure of speech and explain the effectiveness.

3. Explain the tone and mood of the poem. Support your answer with evidence from the poem.

4. Identify and explain the theme in the poem. Support your answer with evidence from the poem.