Poetry Analysis: Techniques and Terms

Analyzing Poetry

• Link techniques and effects correctly, like comparing apples to apples
• Ensure accuracy of words, especially technical terms
• Avoid loaded words unless universally understood
• Skillfully transition between poems for analysis
• Identify and analyze nuances in the poem
• Make specific line references and avoid overusing evidence
• Be concise and economical with your analysis

Important Poetic Terms

• Poet: The author of the poem
• Persona: The speaker in the poem
• Stanza: When the paragraphing is uniform/in a pattern in a poem
• Verse Paragraph: Related to stanzas

Points of Comparison

• Understand the overall themes and similarities/differences between poems in their messages
• Analyze the persona/point of view
• Analyze the themes and messages to understand their similarities and differences

Tone and Mood

• Analyze the tone and mood at the start of the poem or each stanza
• Identify the words used to establish tone at the start of the poem or stanza

Diction

• Analyze wordplay
• Be aware of collective pronouns ("we")
• Be aware of the use of collective pronouns ("we")

Figurative Language

• Word Association: Analyzing connections between words, and their connotations
• Pathetic Fallacy: When the surroundings represent the speaker's emotions
• Anaphora: Repetition of words at the beginning of clauses
• Diction: Consider the specific word choices and their impact, and significance beyond just the meanings
• Imagery: Using vivid descriptions to create a mental picture
  • Visual, Kinesthetic (Movement), Auditory (Hearing), Tactile(touch), Olfactory (smell), Gustatory (identifying the sense evoked)
• Hyperbole: Exaggeration
• Symbolism: Using symbols to represent deeper meanings
• Allusion: Use of references to other works or historical contexts
• Juxtaposition: Placement of contrasting ideas or images for a strong effect
• Metaphor: A direct comparison between two unlike things (e.g., "The golden sun dipped below the horizon")
• Simile: A comparison using "like" or "as"
• Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things (e.g. "She sprinted through the rain-soaked streets..."))

Sounds

• Alliteration: Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words or stressed syllables
• Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds within a group of words
• Consonance: Repetition of consonant sounds within a group of words

Form and Structure

• Line Length: Analyze incremental lengthening or truncation of lines
• Rhyme Schemes: Examine rhyme patterns, identifying volta points in Petrarchan or Italian sonnets or the Shakespearean or English type
• Rhythm: Analyze the rhythm and the use of internal rhyme
• Form: Identify the overall form of the work, such as sonnets
• Opening and Closing Lines: Assess if the poem's end mirrors its beginning; happy or sad? Does it progress form one to the other?
• Type 1 & 2: Contextualize poems, highlight similarities and differences (intro, similarities, differences, conclusion)
• Couplet: Two lines of poetry that rhyme (e.g., "aa bb")
• Alternate Rhyme Schemes: (e.g., "abab")
• Free verse: Poetry that does not follow a regular rhyme scheme or rhythm

Analysis and Evaluation

• Evidence: Cite specific lines from the poem with quotation marks
• Analysis: Explain the literary devices used, emphasizing relevance and accuracy
• Evaluation: Consider how the evidence contributes to the overall point being made or meaning
• Body Paragraphs: Structure analysis with evidence, analysis, and evaluation components