Consider the poet's word choice. The poet's choice of words is frequently crucial. Determine why the poet used certain words and whether these words stand out. Determine how these specific words add to the poem's meaning. Look for terms that are repeated as well. These repetitions help to establish a rhythm which gives life to the poem.
Also consider the poet's structure. How does the poet organize his or her ideas? What patterns do certain elements within the poem follow? Devise an organization for your poems that reflects their structure.
Finally, consider the poet's tone. What does the poet's overall style reveal about him or her? Is it serious or light-hearted? Traditional or innovative? You can use this information to place the poet in context with other poets of his time or even today.
These are just some of the many things you should think about when analyzing poetry. There are many more tips like this one out there so be sure to search for more ways to improve your poetry analysis skills!
How to Analyze Poems: 10 Practical Tips
In 8 Easy Steps, Analyze a Poem
@Moeknows provides a step-by-step approach on commenting on poetry.
How to Interpret a Poem
Begin by observing the poetry and then explaining how it is accomplished. Typically, in an analysis, you may focus on one significant element, such as imagery, and demonstrate how it functions in the poem; or you can focus on a theme, mood, or other overarching quality of the poem, and demonstrate how the pieces contribute to that. Either way, you should begin by looking at the whole picture, and only afterward examine each part separately.
Poetry has many different forms, so it is important to be aware of these when reading and analyzing poems. Some common types of poetry include: sonnets, sestets, villanelles, limericks, odes, and pantoums. Understanding the form of the poem will help you interpret its content more clearly.
Once you have understood the poem's meaning, you can start analyzing it sentence by sentence. Many students tend to over-analyze poems, but this should not be the case for good analysts. It is important to let some of the mystery surrounding poems remain after you have analyzed them thoroughly. Sometimes we need reminders of the original inspiration behind the work.