If you struggle with the question of how to analyse a poem, follow the steps given below to comprehend poetry effectively and efficiently:
Read the Poem Aloud
Poetry is written generally to be heard, not just read. To analyse a poem, you must read it aloud. Such reading would help in identifying the rhythm and flow, as doing so one can experience the sound of the poem as well as pick up subtle nuances in tones and moods and can note rhyme schemes or repetitions that are much harder to detect while reading silently.
Simplify by Paraphrasing
After reading the poem, underline difficult vocabulary or words. Search for the meanings of difficult words and rephrase them in simple language or words. Doing so will help you to understand the text of the poem easily, eventually helping you interpret the poem’s hidden meanings.
Consider the Poet’s Intentions
The next step of poem analysis is to think about the intent of the poet: Why did the poet write this poem? What was going on in their life, or in the world, at the time? Context plays a huge role while analysing poetry, and if you know the background of the poet, you might understand deeper meanings of the poem better. For example, the poetry written during a war would express social anxiety, while personal poems may help to cope with personal turmoil or relationships.
Dissect the Title
The title is the most important part of a poem, as it usually contains significant details that provide the context of a poem, like it may tell the main idea or specify the setting. The title of a poem can also suggest information about the poet’s objective or the speaker’s perspective. So while analysing a poem, one must consider the title and think about how it is relevant to a poem, as paying attention to the title might provide important information about the poem’s overall meaning and interpretation.
Examine the Voice behind the Words
After dissecting the title, the next step while considering how to analyse a poem is to find out who is the speaker of the poem. The narrator of a poem is not always a poet; the poet may create a separate persona to narrate a poem. So, while analysing poetry, identify the speaker, as it helps to understand the perspective and the emotions conveyed in the poem.
Analyse the Tone and Mood
Now that you know who is the speaker of the poem, it’s time to determine the tone or mood of the poem. Analyse the tone using the diction and the word choices employed by the poet. Does the speaker speak in formal or informal language? Are there any descriptive adjectives, verbs, or figurative language that express a certain emotion? For example, words like “delight,” “cheer,” or “happiness” would usually evoke a joyful tone; however, words like “lonely,” “desolate,” or “forgotten” could carry a more melancholic tone.
Understand the Poem’s Structure and Form
Once you are familiar with the context, speaker, and tone of the poem, it is crucial to understand the form and structure of the poem because they affect the meaning of the poem. Ask questions like: Is it a sonnet, haiku, or any other type of poem? Are the stanzas regular or irregular? Does the poet use line breaks? Does the poem follow a traditional rhyme pattern or is it a free verse poem?
Identify Literary Devices
The next step in poem analysis is to identify the literary devices. Consider questions like: Is there any imagery used to create vivid pictures? Are there any metaphors or similes? Some common literary devices to look for in a poem are metaphors, similes, symbolism, alliteration, personification, repetition, enjambment, caesura, juxtaposition, etc. Poets use literary devices to add depth to the poem, so by determining literary devices, one can gain a deeper understanding of the intended message that the poet wants to convey.
Explore the Poem’s Themes
The theme is the central message that the poet is conveying or wants to convey. Sometimes themes are overt, while other times they are hidden beneath layers of metaphor and symbolism. Common themes in poetry include love and relationships, death and mortality, nature and the human experience, identity and self-reflection, etc. To uncover the themes, ask yourself what the poem is trying to communicate. What emotions are evoked after reading it? Connecting these themes to the poet’s personal context or historical setting can also provide further insight.
Write Your Analysis
Once you’ve gone through the above steps, it’s time to write your analysis. When writing, be sure to start with a brief context of the poem, like the name of the poem and the poet, For example, you can start with the line “The poem ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ is written by ‘William Wordsworth’, who was a renowned English poet of Romanticism”. Remember to add the “how” and “what” of the poem in your written analysis, i.e., answering questions like “what message is the poet trying to convey? and how?”. Discuss how literary devices, themes, tone, and structure contribute to the poem’s meaning. Also, include textual evidence, i.e., specific examples from the poem to support your points.
Conclusion
In short, to analyse a poem, read it aloud, paraphrase difficult vocabulary, determine the poet’s intention, dissect the title, examine the speaker, analyse the tone, understand the structure, identify literary devices, and explore hidden themes of the poem. Poetry analysis can be difficult, but by following the abovementioned steps, you can learn how to analyse a poem effectively.