This lesson teaches how to break a poem into several parts for better comprehension and composition. Poetry analysis is the process of investigating a poem's form, content, structural semiotics, and history in an informed way, with the aim of heightening one's own and others' understanding and appreciation of the work.
1. Poetry Analysis 101 The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Poetry
2. Where do I start? • To really understand a poem you need to read it 3 times. • 1st to just read it through • 2nd to analyze structure (rhyme scheme, meter, figurative language, etc.) • 3rd to analyze meaning • Let’s start with an easy one
3. Reading 1 • Just read the poem and absorb the language. Enjoy the imagery and the rhythm of the words. • Close your eye if you want to—I’ll read it to you
4. by Percy Bysshe Shelly Music, when soft voices die, Vibrates in the memory; Odours, when sweet violets sicken, Live within the sense they quicken. Rose leaves, when the rose is dead, Are heap'd for the beloved's bed; And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone, Love itself shall slumber on.
5. Reading 2 • Now let’s look at the form of this poem Music, when soft voices die, Vibrates in the memory; What is the rhyme Odours, when sweet violets sicken, scheme? Live within the sense they quicken. What does this rhyme Rose leaves, when the rose is dead, scheme tell you? Are heap'd for the beloved's bed; And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone, Love itself shall slumber on. Any kn n’t you personification? do rds wo y An ? Any metaphors? ow Similes?
6. Reading 3 • What kinds of questions do I ask? • Remember, everything in poetry is done for a purpose, so you have to be constantly asking “WHY?” and “WHAT?” • Why did he say this? • What is this supposed to mean? • What does this represent? • What is the overall point?
7. Reading 3 When a song is over, you still Music, when soft voices die, remember it the Vibrates in the memory; sound When a smell is Odours, when sweet violets sicken, gone, you can Live within the sense they quicken. still remember Rose leaves, when the rose is dead, the scent Are heap'd for the beloved's bed; And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone, When a rose dies the Love itself shall slumber on. petals can be used on the bed(coffin). You remember the love And when you (my love) die, that the rose and your thoughts are gone, A big part of represents. analyzing poetry is my love for you will live on, I don’t actually know this, realizing that there and be a remembrance of but it makes sense, think isn’t a right or wrong, you of how people spread it’s all about saying flower petals now as a your opinion and romantic thing, dead telling why it’s right. petals are the opposite of If you think it’s right, then it can be!
8. Descriptive Language • One important thing to think about when analyzing poetry is the descriptive language. • Picking particular adjectives and adverbs make a huge difference in the meaning of the poem
9. Insert your own Using this simple poetic stanza, put in whatever descriptive words to have it make sense. The sun rises and I have _________ thoughts. My eyes ________ open, the ______ inside me growing. ________, I step towards the day, knowing I am _______, I am ________, that’s what this day has brought. See how important descriptive language can be?
10. “She Walks in Beauty” By: Lord George Gordon Byron She walks in beauty like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that’s best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes Thus mellow’d to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies. One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impair’d the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress, Or softly lightens o’er her face Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling place. And on that cheek, and o’er that brow, So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tells of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent!
11. Reading 2 She walks in beauty like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies; • What is the rhyme scheme? And all that’s best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes • Any figurative language? Thus mellow’d to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies • Let’s look at the descriptive One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impair’d the nameless grace language. Which waves in every raven tress, • Look at all the highlighted Or softly lightens o’er her face words, those words create Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling place. the mood and tone of the poem. And on that cheek, and o’er that brow, • Imagine if he had used So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, other adjectives, it would But tells of days in goodness spent, have a completely A mind at peace with all below, different feel. A heart whose love is innocent!
12. Reading 3 She walks in beauty like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies; •What is happening in the poem? And all that’s best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes •What is the author describing? Thus mellow’d to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies •What happened? •How does he feel? One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impair’d the nameless grace •Are there any words you don’t Which waves in every raven tress, know? Or softly lightens o’er her face Where thoughts serenely sweet express •What is the mood? How pure, how dear their dwelling place. •What is he trying to express? And on that cheek, and o’er that brow, •Is he successful? So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tells of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent!
13. “Mother to Son” By: Langston Hughes Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. So, boy, don't you turn back. Don't you set down on the steps. 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. Don't you fall now— For I'se still goin', honey, I'se still climbin', And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
14. •What does the voice of the Well, son, I'll tell you: narrator tell you? Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, •Who is she? And splinters, •What has her life been And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— like? Bare. •Where is she from? But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, •Remember the narrator and the And reachin' landin's, author are usually not the same person. And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. So, boy, don't you turn back. •Who is she talking to? Don't you set down on the steps. •Who ELSE is she talking to? 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. Don't you fall now— For I'se still goin', honey, •Which words stick out to you I'se still climbin', as important? And life for me ain't been no crystal stair. •Important words are ones that tell you a lot very simply
15. Read Aloud • Poetry is best when heard out loud. It’s an art form that is easiest to understand when you hear it. • Each person reads a poem differently, so we, the audience, can see a little bit of their personality in the poem, which affects how we understand it. • The human soul is in the writing of poetry, but the soul of the poem can’t be let out, unless a person is there to do it.
16. Read Aloud • Each person in the class has the same poem as someone else. • Study it, get familiar with the language. • Each pair will read their poems • This is not a competition, this is just to see how your different personalities and interpretations change the meaning of the poem. • Put some effort in! You won’t be funny by reading it robotically or monotone on purpose.
17. Read Aloud Continued • Now that you have read your poems aloud, you will work with your poem partner to analyze your poem by writing one well-developed paragraph. • BUT • How do you do that?
18. Writing an Analysis • Things to remember • Poetry is subjective, meaning each person brings their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences to it • There is NO right answer to analyzing poetry, if you feel it, it can be right • You do have to EXPLAIN your feelings and connect them to the writing, it can’t just be random stuff • To write about poetry you have to have a reaction and talk about it. • Everyone can do it!
19. Sample Analysis Music: by Percy Bysshe Shelly The rhyming couplets connect each Music, when soft voices die, set of lines together; they also Vibrates in the memory; create focus of each idea. Odours, when sweet violets sicken, The sensory images (sound, Live within the sense they quicken. smell, sight) create a flow to the Rose leaves, when the rose is dead, poem and then in the final couplet Are heap'd for the beloved's bed; where it goes to the mind, the And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone, ideas have already circled that. Love itself shall slumber on. The overall meaning says that as long as you remember someone in your heart, they will be a part of your life forever. Now let’s combine my My goal is to discuss the couplets, ideas into a cohesive the sensory images and the overall paragraph!
20. Alw Final Paragraph an ays d s na the ay th me au ! tho e title r’s full In his poem “Music” author Percy Bysshe Shelly connects the sound of music to the loss of a great love. Throughout the poem he uses rhyming couplets to connect lines of ideas to finally come to his conclusion that love, much like things felt by the other senses, is a part of our memory and as long as we keep it a part of us, it can’t fade away. He talks about how we remember the sound of beautiful music, how we remember the scent of flowers, and how the same flowers can show us love and death together. Finally, he concludes that just like the scent of the flower, the feelings of love he has can never be lost as long as he remembers them vividly in his heart. Note: I don’t say “I think” or “I feel,” I don’t even have to say anything about the fact that it is my opinion. My interpretation of what Shelley is saying shows my opinion. You just state your interpretation as if it’s the only one there could be. If you were to read this, without knowing I wrote it, you might think that this was TRUE, but really it’s just MY educated analysis. Everyone is capable of doing the same thing…with a little practice of course
21. Your turn! • Now, working with your Read Aloud Poem Partner you are going to analyze your poem. • Ask the kind of questions we practiced about form, meaning, and imagery. • Use your answers to these questions to write an in-depth paragraph of analysis.
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