Scribd
Upload
332 views2 pages

Analysing Poems

This document provides guidance on analyzing poems by examining several key elements: 1. The poetic voice - who is the poem directed to and what perspective is being expressed. 2. Diction - the choice and use of words, and whether the language is conversational, reflective, dialectal, formal or narrative. 3. Tense and mood - what tenses are used and whether this reveals a reflective, imaginative or persuasive intent. Backing up analyses with specific examples from the text is important for achieving high marks. Imagery, symbolism, themes and their intended effects on the reader should also be considered.

Uploaded by

jehnee88
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
332 views2 pages

Analysing Poems

This document provides guidance on analyzing poems by examining several key elements: 1. The poetic voice - who is the poem directed to and what perspective is being expressed. 2. Diction - the choice and use of words, and whether the language is conversational, reflective, dialectal, formal or narrative. 3. Tense and mood - what tenses are used and whether this reveals a reflective, imaginative or persuasive intent. Backing up analyses with specific examples from the text is important for achieving high marks. Imagery, symbolism, themes and their intended effects on the reader should also be considered.

Uploaded by

jehnee88
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Analysing Poems:

Poetic Voice

1. Who is the poem for?

• Is the poem directed to a specific character?


• Is it narrating an incident or is the poet reflecting on an issue?
• Is the poet exploring his or her own thoughts?

Diction
Diction is the choice and use of words in the poem. The diction that the poet chooses obviously has
a profound effect on the poem. It is important to consider whether the poet has used a specific type of
language in the poem.

This may be:


• conversational
• reflective
• dialect
• formal
• narrative
• persuasive

Look carefully at the poem. Once you have established the diction used, you should consider specific
words or phrases which show this.

Some evidences include looking at the following:

• Does the language seem traditional, modern, formal, or colloquial?


• Has the poet used slang? Why? What would be lost if this slang were replaced with formal
language?
• What does the use of language tell you about when the poem was written? Does the poet uses
phrases which are not used in modern times?
• Are there words that are specific to a certain culture, age group or gender? Why have these
words been used? Is the poem focusing specifically on a particular social group?

2. How is the poem written?

• You should consider if the poem is written in the first or third person. For example, is the poet
writing the poem using "I", or acting as the narrator?
• Does the poet want you to feel a certain way or are they looking for you to answer a question?

Use of language – tense

Consider the following:


• Which tenses does the poet use?
• If the poem is written entirely in the past tense, then is the poet simply reflecting on what has
happened?
• Has the poet used the conditional tense (for example, "would", "could", "might", "should")? Is
the poet exploring possibilities, or imagining? Is there a sense of persuasion in the poem?
****In order to achieve a high grade, you should show an
understanding of a poet's use of imagery in a poem!!!

• Make sure that you back up your ideas with specific examples, rather than just commenting
generally.
• When you use a quotation, explain why you have chosen the quotation and its importance.
This displays close textual analysis.

Mood of the Imagery


• Consider where the poet has used any of these: simile, metaphor, conceit, symbolism etc.
• Look out for use of: mood, tone, ideas, themes, feelings and irony.

• What images has the poet used?


• Why has the poet used these images?
• What effect do the images have on the reader?
• Does the poet focus on movement, feeling, sound, taste or appearance in
the images?
• Is there a theme linking the images used in the poem? Examples might
include: love, death, fear, lust, religion, conflict, nature, violence. Does this
add to your understanding of the poem?

The Five Senses


• Is the poet trying to appeal to the taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing of
the reader? Perhaps the poet focuses on just one of the senses?
• What sensation does this create?

BEST WAY OF GETTING HIGH MARKS IS LOOK FOR MEANINGS BETWEEN


THE LINES

QuickTimeª and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

You might also like