Poems

Poem Types

• Narrative

  • tells a story

• Dramatic

  • can mean actual plays in verse

• Lyric Poetry

  • songs that tell a story

  • Descriptive lyrics

  • Observational Lyrics

    • L

  • Dramatic Monologue

Reading Poetry

1. listen to the poem multiple times

2. articulate your expectations

   1. The title is important

3. Read the syntax Literally

   1. identify sentences

   2. reorder sentences

   3. Replace each pronoun with the noun it is replacing

   4. translate into modern words

   5. note any ambiguities

4. Consult reference works

5. Who, What, When, Were, What happens?

   1. who- speakers, auditors, other characters

   2. where, when? - where is the speaker, poems setting

   3. what - situation, action, plot

6. Formulate answers to questions

7. Consider poems form and its effects on its meaning

8. investigate the poem, does it deviate?

9. argue