How to Analyse a Poem

Introduction

Poetry is a unique form of literature that uses the power of language in a concentrated and artful way to convey emotions, ideas, and experiences. A poem works through a combination of meaning, sound, and imagery. Analysing a poem can feel intimidating at first, as it often seems more abstract than a short story. However, by learning to pay attention to the specific tools a poet uses, you can unlock the rich layers of meaning hidden within its lines. This guide will provide a step-by-step approach to help you read, understand, and appreciate poetry more deeply.

Learning objectives

After reading this article, you should be able to:

• Understand the importance of reading a poem aloud to appreciate its sound and rhythm.
• Identify and define key poetic devices, including simile, metaphor, and personification.
• Explain the concepts of rhyme scheme and meter.
• Analyse the role of the speaker and the tone of a poem.
• Follow a structured process for interpreting a poem's overall theme and meaning.

Step 1: Read the Poem Aloud (More Than Once)

A poem is meant to be heard as well as read. The first and most important step in analysing any poem is to read it aloud slowly. Pay attention to the sounds of the words, the rhythm, and the pauses. Does it flow smoothly, or is it choppy and harsh? Where do the natural pauses fall? Reading it aloud helps you to experience the poem's musicality, which is often a key part of its emotional effect. Read it through two or three times. On the first pass, just get a feel for the subject and mood. On subsequent readings, you can start to look more closely at the details.

Step 2: Consider the Title and the Speaker

The title is your first clue to the poem's meaning. Don't ignore it! What does it suggest about the subject of the poem? Does it create a certain expectation?

Next, identify the speaker of the poem. The speaker is the voice that is "talking" in the poem. It is very important to remember that the speaker is not always the poet. The poet might create a fictional persona or character to be the speaker. Ask yourself: Who is this speaker? What is their situation? What can you tell about their personality or point of view?

Step 3: Analyse the Diction (Word Choice)

Poets choose their words with extreme care. Every word matters. Diction refers to the poet's choice of words. When analysing diction, look at the connotations of words—the feelings and ideas that are associated with a word beyond its literal dictionary definition. For example, the words "house" and "home" have similar literal meanings, but "home" has a much warmer, more positive connotation. Ask yourself: Why did the poet choose this specific word instead of another? Are the words simple and conversational, or are they formal and academic?

Step 4: Unpack the Figurative Language

Figurative language is language that goes beyond the literal meaning of words to create a powerful effect. It is the heart of poetry. Look for these common devices:

• Simile: A comparison between two unlike things using the words "like" or "as." (e.g., "My love is like a red, red rose.")
• Metaphor: A direct comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as." (e.g., "All the world's a stage.") It states that one thing is another.
• Personification: Giving human qualities or actions to an inanimate object or an abstract idea. (e.g., "The wind whispered through the trees.")
• Imagery: Language that appeals to the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to create vivid pictures and sensations in the reader's mind.

When you find an example of figurative language, don't just identify it. Ask yourself: What is the effect of this comparison? What feelings or ideas does this image create?

Step 5: Listen to the Sounds of the Poem

Poets use sound devices to create a musical quality and to enhance the poem's mood and meaning.

• Rhyme: The repetition of similar sounds, usually at the end of lines. You can analyse the rhyme scheme by assigning a letter to each new rhyming sound (e.g., AABB, ABAB).
• Rhythm and Meter: Rhythm is the overall flow and cadence of the poem. Meter is a more formal, structured pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. Don't worry about identifying the exact meter (like iambic pentameter) unless you are asked to. It's more important to notice the general effect. Is the rhythm fast and energetic, or slow and somber?
• Alliteration: The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words close together. (e.g., "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.")
• Assonance: The repetition of the same vowel sound within words close together. (e.g., "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.")

Step 6: Examine the Form and Structure

How is the poem organised on the page? Is it divided into stanzas (groups of lines, like paragraphs in prose)? Are the lines long or short? Some poems follow a traditional form, like a sonnet (14 lines) or a haiku (3 lines with a 5-7-5 syllable pattern). Other poems are written in free verse, which means they have no regular rhyme scheme or meter. The visual structure of the poem is a deliberate choice. Ask: How does the form contribute to the poem's meaning?

Step 7: Determine the Tone and Theme

The tone is the speaker's attitude towards the subject of the poem. Is the tone happy, sad, angry, ironic, or something else? The diction, imagery, and sound all work together to create the tone.

Finally, you can put all the pieces together to determine the theme. Just like in a short story, the theme is the poem's central message or insight about life or human nature. What is the poet trying to say about their subject? A good analysis will show how the poet uses all the tools we've discussed—diction, imagery, sound, and form—to develop this central theme.

Summary

Analysing a poem is an act of close listening and careful observation. It begins by experiencing the poem's sound by reading it aloud. Then, by systematically examining the speaker, word choice, figurative language, sound devices, and structure, you can begin to understand the poet's craft. The final step is to synthesize these observations to interpret the poem's overall tone and theme, explaining not just what the poem means, but how it creates that meaning.

Discussion questions

• Why is reading a poem aloud so much more important than it is for reading a novel?
• What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor? Create your own example of each.
• Think of a song you like. Can you identify any poetic devices in its lyrics (e.g., rhyme, metaphor, imagery)?
• Why is it important to remember that the "speaker" of a poem is not always the poet themselves?