Poetry
Approaching Poetry
Consider how you might be asked to respond to a poem - interpreting what it says and how it says it.
- Examining how elements of poem connect to a larger meaning
- Analyze the relationship between two ideas in a single poem
Literal Level
Read the poem at its most literal level to form a basic understanding of it. This helps you discover the poem's main subject & provides the foundation for your analysis
Identification
Identify and characterize the speaker of the poem, relationship of idea that signal speaker's attitude toward the subject.
Style Details
How does the style contribute to the poem's meaning. Connect style to meaning by providing evidence for your interpretation of the poem.
Stanzas and Line Breaks
- Think of stanzas as paragraphs - they function to do three things
Stanza breaks
- Mark beginnings and endings
- Cause the reader to pause
- Accelerate the pace
Line Breaks
- Line turns are meaningful
Rhyme Scheme
Pattern of rhyme for the entire poem
Free Verse
Poem that does not rhyme
End Rhyme
Rhyme occurs at the end of the line
Internal Rhyme
Diction
Denotation
A word's explicit meaning
Connotation
Refers to the associated a word caries