Category: Topics in the syllabus
Learn how to analyze a poem is a complex task. Follow the following tips to improve your reading skills:
Read the poem aloud
The first thing you should do is reading the poem aloud. It will give a complete experience because the poems follow a particular rhythm. One of the traditional differences between regular literature and poetry is the use of rhythm. It's a way of conveying meaning. Recurring rhythms, rhymes or pronunciations often transform a poem into music.
Read the title
The title may give you some image or association to start with. The title should give you some ideas of the poem’s subject, tone, or genre.
Identify the theme
Poetry often conveys a message through figurative language. Theme is the personal opinion of the poet. Many poems have more than one theme, and they are closely related to the feelings the poet is trying to convey.
Common themes in poetry
- Love.
- Death.
- Beauty.
- Spirituality.
- Nature.
- Dreams.
- Desire.
- War.
Analyze the language
Word choice can tell you a lot about a poem as well. It creates the mood and tone of a poem. Scan the poem for words that aren’t familiar, circle them, and look them up. Write their meanings off to the side. If the definition you wrote down doesn’t make sense in the context of the poem, you might need to choose a different one.
Think about the context
The who, what, where, when, and why of a poem can help explain its purpose. Consider the historical and geographical context, such as the year and circumstances in which the poem was written.
