This document provides an introduction to analyzing poetry. It discusses starting with the title and poet's background to understand context. It then recommends closely reading the poem multiple times, paraphrasing it, and analyzing various elements like theme, form, diction, tone, imagery, rhythm, and rhyme. Different poetry forms are also outlined like narrative poems, sonnets, odes, and elegies. The document aims to equip readers with tools for interpreting and appreciating poetic works.

2. HOW TO APPROACH POETRY
• POETRY ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE DIFFICULT
• SOME STUDENTS MAY DISLIKE OR FEAR POETRY
• HOWEVER; IT’S VERY EASY! THERE CAN NEVER BE A RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER.
• IT IS UP TO YOUR INTERPRETATIONS AS LONG AS YOU CAN JUSTIFY IT!!
• POEMS CAN BE WRITTEN ABOUT ANYTHING.
• THEY CONTAIN IDEAS, FEELINGS, AND SOUNDS INTO A FEW WORDS OR SENTENCES.
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3. WHAT IS POETRY?
• A POEM IS A COMPOSITION IN VERSE. IT PAINTS PICTURES
BY MEANS OF POETIC DEVICES SUCH AS FIGURATIVE
LANGUAGE, RHYTHM AND RHYME.
• POETRY (ANCIENT GREEK: ΠΟΙΕΩ (POIEO) = I CREATE)
• TO FIND OUT MORE
VISIT:HTTP://WWW.POETRY.ORG/WHATIS.HTM
• "THE SPONTANEOUS OVERFLOW OF POWERFUL FEELINGS;“
–WORDSWORTH
• "IF I READ A BOOK AND IT MAKES MY BODY SO COLD NO
FIRE EVER CAN WARM ME, I KNOW THAT IS POETRY;“ –
EMILY DICKINSON
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4. STARTING OFF…
TITLE
• READ THE TITLE OF THE POEM
• IF THERE IS WORDS IN THE TITLE THAT YOU DO
NOT UNDERSTAND, LOOK IT UP BEFORE READING
THE POEM.
• THE TITLE IS THE THEME OF THE POEM.
• WHAT WILL YOU PREDICT THE POEM IS ABOUT?
• WRITE DOWN THIS PREDICTIONS TO REFLECT ON
IT LATER.
POET
• WHEN STUDYING A POET PAY ATTENTION TO THE DATE OF
BIRTH AND TO THE DATE OF HIS/HER DEATH.
THIS WILL ALLOW YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHERE HE/SHE IS
COMINGFROM WHEN THE POEM WAS WRITTEN
• ALSO LOOK AT WHAT THE POET HAS ACHIEVED IN HIS/HER
LIFE TIME.
• POETS REFLECT THE EVENTS AND IDEAS OF THEIR TIMES
THROUGH POETRY.
• UNDERSTANDING OF A POET’S TIME MAY LEAD TO AN
UNDERSTANDING OF HIS IDEAS.
• KNOWLEDGE OF A POET’S BACKGROUND ALSO GIVES US
INSIGHT INTO HIS INTENTION.
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5. READ THE POEM!
READ THE POEM MORE THAN ONES!!!
KEEP THE POET IN MIND.
LOOK UP WORDS THAT SEEM UNFAMILIAR.
WHILE READING LINK THE TITLE WITH THE
IDEAS IN THE POEM.
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6. PARAPHRASE THE POEM
TRANSLATE THE POEM INTO YOUR OWN WORDS.
• RE-WRITE THE PLOT OF THE POEM IN YOUR OWN WORDS, KEY IN ON THE LITERAL MEANING.
FREQUENTLY, REAL UNDERSTANDING OF A POEM MUST EVOLVE FROM COMPREHENSION OF “WHAT’S
GOING ON IN THE POEM.”
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7. ANALYSIS OF POETRY
• THEME/MAIN IDEA
• FORM
• DICTION (WORD CHOICE)
• TONE (ATTITUDE)
• IMAGERY
• RHYTHM
• RHYME
• METRE
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8. THEME/MAIN IDEA
• EACH POEM CONVEYS THE MESSAGES OR INTENTIONS OF THE POET AND THESE MAY BE EXPLICIT
(0BVIOUS) OR IMPLICIT (IMPLIED).
• THE POEM MAY BE A NARRATIVE, WHICH TELLS A STORY, OR A LYRIC, WHICH DESCRIBES THE PERSONAL
FEELINGS OF THE POET.
• IN IDENTIFYING THEME, YOU WILL WANT TO CONSIDER THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE, MOTIVATION, OR
CONDITION SUGGESTED BY THE POEM.
• ASK YOURSELF, WHAT IS THE POET TRYING TO SAY ABOUT LIFE?
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9. NARRATIVE FORM
TYPES:
• THE BALLAD
• THE EPIC
• THE ALLEGORY
• DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE
• A NARRATIVE FORM TELLS A STORY.
• IT USUALLY HAS A BEGINNING, MIDDLE, CLIMAX
AND CONCLUSION.
• DIRECT AND NARRATED SPEECH CAN BE USED.
• OFTEN COMPOSED TO RECORD
HISTORICAL, POLITICAL AND FAMILY EVENTS.
• PASSED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO
GENERATION.
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10. NARRATIVE POETRY:
THE BALLAD
• OLDEST FORM OF NARRATIVE VERSE.
• AT ONE STAGE IT WAS SUNG.
• SUBJECT MATTER: LOVE, DEATH, WAR, BRAVERY, ADVENTURE, ACTION.
• RHYTHM HAS STRONG BEAT.
• TODAY = SONGWRITERS.
• EXAMPLES: JOHN KEATS’S “LA BELLE DAME SANS MERCI,” THOMAS HARDY’S “DURING WIND AND
RAIN,” AND EDGAR ALLAN POE’S“ANNABEL LEE.”
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11. NARRATIVE POETRY:
THE EPIC
• AN EPIC (FROM THE ANCIENT
GREEK ADJECTIVE ἘΠΙΚΌΣ (EPIKOS), FROM ἜΠΟ
Σ (EPOS) "WORD, STORY, POEM"
• LONG, NARRATIVE POEM TELLING THE STORY OF
AN HISTORICAL FIGURE OR EVENT.
• HAS BEEN REFERRED TO AS A “NOVEL IN VERSE”.
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12. NARRATIVE POETRY: THE ALLEGORY
• THE ALLEGORY IS A NARRATIVE POEM THAT APPEARS IN THE FORM OF AN EXTENDED METAPHOR.
• IT CONVEYS A VEILED MORAL MEANING.
• IT CAN BE EITHER IN PROSE OR VERSE.
• EXAMPLE: “FAERIE QUEENE” BY SPENCER.
• THE WIZARD OF OZ WAS ORIGINALLY AN ALLEGORY.
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13. NARRATIVE POETRY:
DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE
• SPOKEN IN THE FIRST PERSON (“I”).
• THE SPEAKER ADDRESSES AN INVISIBLE RECIPIENT.
• FROM HIS WORDS, WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKER.
• STORY LINE = NARRATIVE.
• EXAMPLE: ROBERT BROWNING.
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14. LYRIC FORM
TYPES:
• ELIZABETHAN SONNET
• PETRARCHAN SONNET
• MODERN SONNET
• THE ODE
• THE ELEGY
• THE LYRIC IS A POEM WITH A MUSICAL OR SONG-
LIKE QUALITY.
• THE LYRIC CONVEYS THE PERSONAL THOUGHTS
OF THE POET.
• THE LYRIC WAS ORIGINALLY ACCOMPANIED BY
THE LYRE.
• THIS FORM WAS FAVOURED BY ROMANTIC
POETS LIKE WORDSWORTH, KEATS AND SHELLEY.
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15. LYRICAL POETRY:
ELIZABETHAN SONNET
• SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET
• ENGLISH SONNET
• 14 LINES
• THREE QUATRAINS + RHYMING COUPLET.
• IAMBIC PENTAMETER.
• COUPLET: TIES UP THE IMAGES AND FEELINGS
AND STATES THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE POET.
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16. LYRIC FORM:
PETRARCHAN SONNET
• ITALIAN SONNET
• OCTAVE (8 LINES) + SESTET (6 LINES).
• OCTAVE: THE PROBLEM
• SESTET: THE SOLUTION
• BREAK = VOLTA
• OCTAVE: ABBAABBA
• SESTET: CDECDE OR CDCDC OR CDDCEF.
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17. LYRIC POETRY:
MODERN SONNET
• THESE OFTEN COMBINE ASPECTS OF THE
SHAKESPEAREAN AND PETRARCHAN FORMS.
• THEY MAY CREATE THEIR OWN FORMS, BUT
ALWAYS RETAIN THE 14 LINES.
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18. LYRIC POETRY: SONNET COMPARISON
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19. LYRIC POETRY: THE ODE
• THE ODE IS AN FORMAL ADDRESS OR TRIBUTE IN
PRAISE OF SOMETHING, SOMEONE OR AN EVENT.
• IT DESCRIBES THE PERSONAL FEELINGS OF THE
POET.
• ORIGINALLY SUNG AS ACCOMPANIMENT TO A
GREEK DANCE.
• LATER: PRAISE OF INANIMATE OBJECT
• ORIGINALLY ACCOMPANIED BY MUSIC AND
DANCE, AND LATER RESERVED BY THE ROMANTIC
POETS TO CONVEY THEIR STRONGEST
SENTIMENTS. SEE MORE AT:
HTTP://WWW.POETS.ORG/VIEWMEDIA.PHP/PR
MMID/5784#STHASH.7EPERV5M.DPUF
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20. LYRIC POETRY:
THE ELEGY
• A REFLECTIVE POEM OR LAMENT DEALING WITH TOPICS
SUCH AS DEATH OR MOURNING.
• EXAMPLES: “ELEGY WRITTEN IN A COUNTRY
CHURCHYARD” BY GRAY AND “LYCIDAS” BY MILTON.
• THE ELEGY BEGAN AS AN ANCIENT GREEK
METRICAL FORM AND IS TRADITIONALLY
WRITTEN IN RESPONSE TO THE DEATH OF A
PERSON OR GROUP. - SEE MORE AT:
HTTP://WWW.POETS.ORG/VIEWMEDIA.PH
P/PRMMID/5778#STHASH.VHSIK0Z0.DPU
F
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21. FORM
• A POEM IS WRITTEN IN A PARTICULAR
FORM.
• POEMS ARE USUALLY WRITTEN IN LINES.
• THESE LINES CAN BE GROUPED INTO
STANZAS.
• ENJAMBMENT OR RUN-ON LINES OCCUR
IN POETRY WHERE THERE IS NO
PUNCTUATION AT THE END OF A LINE.
THE POET’S THOUGHTS REMAIN
UNBROKEN.
Enjambment:
the continuation of a
sentence without a
pause beyond the end of
a line, couplet, or stanza.
Example
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22. DICTION
• THE POET’S USE OF WORDS CREATES ATMOSPHERE AND SETS THE POEM IN IT’S CORRECT TIME AND
PLACE.
• WORD CHOICE INFLUENCES RHYTHM AND MOOD.
• IN A RHYMING POEM, APPROPRIATEWORD CHOICE IS CRUCIAL.
• JARGON AND SLANG MAY BE USED FOR EFFECT.
• THE USE OF REPETITION IS ALSO AN EFFECTIVE DEVICE.
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23. TONE/ATTITUDE
• THE TONE OF THE POEM REVEALS THE POET’S SUBJECTIVE
VIEWS AND ATTITUDE TO THE READER AND TO THE
SUBJECT.
• OBSERVE BOTH THE SPEAKER’S AND POET’S ATTITUDE
(TONE)
• TONE CONTRIBUTES TO THE MOOD OR ATMOSPHERE OF
THE POEM.
• HAVING EXAMINED THE POEM’S DEVICES AND CLUES
CLOSELY, YOU ARE NOW READY TO EXPLORE THE MULTIPLE
ATTITUDES THAT MAY BE PRESENT IN THE POEM.
BEST DESCRIPTIVE WORDS FOR TONE:
FRIENDLY
SHARP
SARCASTIC
IRONIC
ANGRY
HUMOROUS
CONDESCENDING
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24. SPEAKER
• THE SPEAKER OF THE POEM IS THE VOICE THAT
RELATES THE STORY OR IDEA OF THE POEM. THE
SPEAKER MAY BE THE POET, SPEAKING DIRECTLY
TO THE READER, OR THE SPEAKER MAY BE A
CHARACTER OR VOICE CREATED BY THE POET.
• NOTE THE SHIFT OF SPEAKERS AND ATTITUDE IN
THE POEM.
• LOOK FOR THE FOLLOWING:
KEY WORDS (BUT, YET, HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH)
PUNCTUATION (DASHES, PERIODS, COLONS, ELLIPSIS)
STANZA DIVISIONS
CHANGES IN LINE OR STANZA LENGTH OR BOTH
IRONY (SOMETIMES IRONY HIDES SHIFTS)
EFFECT OF STRUCTURE ON MEANING
CHANGES IN SOUND THAT MAY INDICATE CHANGES IN
MEANING
CHANGES IN DICTION (SLANG TO FORMAL LANGUAGE)
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25. THE VOICE MAY INCLUDE
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26. IMAGERY
• IMAGERY IS LANGUAGE THAT APPEALS TO THE READER’S FIVE
SENSES- SIGHT, HEARING, SMELL, TASTE, AND TOUCH.
• POETRY IS A COMBINATION OF LITERAL AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE.
• IMAGERY CONJURES UP WORD PICTURES – THESE AFFECT US
EMOTIONALLY AND INTELLECTUALLY.
• METAPHORS, SIMILES, PERSONIFICATION.
• ALLITERATION, ASSONANCE, CONSONANCE, ONOMATOPOEIA.
Figurative language:
language which expresses
more than a literal
meaning
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27. RHYTHM: TECHNIQUE THAT CREATES
SOUND
• RHYTHM SETS THE PACE AND SHOULD MATCH THE MEANING.
• SLOW RHYTHM = SOMBRE MEANING.
• QUICK PACE = HAPPY MOOD.
• WHEN READING A POEM ALOUD, FEEL THE CHANGE OF PACE AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE MOOD OF THE
POEM.
• PACE (TEMPO)AND PAUSE AFFECT RHYTHM
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28. RHYME SCEME: TECHNIQUE THAT CREATES
SOUND
• RHYME DEPENDS ON SOUND, NOT SIGHT.
• RHYME SCHEMES DIFFER.
• COUPLET: TWO CONSECUTIVE RHYMING LINES.
• QUATRAIN: FOUR-LINED STANZA.
• AABB =
PAIR RHYME
• ABAB = ALTERNATE/CROSS RHYME
• AABB =
ENCLOSED RHYME
• ABCA =
FREE VERSE
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29. METRE
• METRE IS THE NUMBER OF STRESSES, BEATS OR FEET IN A LINE OF POETRY.
• SHAKESPEAREUSED THE IAMBIC (RISING RHYTHM OF TWO SYLLABLES) PENTAMETER (FIVE FEET) TO
WRITE HIS SONNETS.
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30. REPRODUCED FROM:
• DU TOIT, M. 2013. POETRY BASICS: INTRODUCTION TO POETRY ANALYSIS AND FORMS. SURFDALE. NEW ZEALAND. WEBSITE:
HTTP://WWW.SLIDESHARE.NET/MARIETTEDUTOITDODD/POETRY-BASICS-INTRODUCTION-TO-POETRY-ANALYSIS-AND-FORMS
• ABDELHAMID, O. 2012. HOW TO ANALYSE POETRY. OASIS. WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.SLIDESHARE.NET/OMNEYA2010/HOW-TO-
ANALYZE-A-POEM-11317211.
• MEDWAY HIGH SCHOOL. 2009. READING AND ENJOYING POETRY. WEBSITE:
HTTP://WWW.SLIDESHARE.NET/FENWAYSOXSSC/READING-AND-ENJOYING-POETRY
• SAMPLES .2009. POETRY: AN INTRODUCTION. LILBURN. UNITED STATE. HTTP://WWW.SLIDESHARE.NET/EBRAND21/POETRY-
2497280?QID=0C761995-53D4-4D4D-AC2D-CFE33EEBA2F4&V=DEFAULT&B=&FROM_SEARCH=5
• LAGAÑA, J. 2011. TYPES AND ELEMENTS OF POETRY. PHILIPPINES. PASAY CITY SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL. WEBSITE:
HTTP://WWW.SLIDESHARE.NET/JACKYLINELAGAA/TYPES-AND-ELEMENTS-OF-POETRY
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