poetry analysis essay assignment

A Full Guide to Writing a Perfect Poem Analysis Essay

01 October, 2020

14 minutes read

Author:  Elizabeth Brown

Poem analysis is one of the most complicated essay types. It requires the utmost creativity and dedication. Even those who regularly attend a literary class and have enough experience in poem analysis essay elaboration may face considerable difficulties while dealing with the particular poem. The given article aims to provide the detailed guidelines on how to write a poem analysis, elucidate the main principles of writing the essay of the given type, and share with you the handy tips that will help you get the highest score for your poetry analysis. In addition to developing analysis skills, you would be able to take advantage of the poetry analysis essay example to base your poetry analysis essay on, as well as learn how to find a way out in case you have no motivation and your creative assignment must be presented on time.

What Is a Poetry Analysis Essay?

A poetry analysis essay is a type of creative write-up that implies reviewing a poem from different perspectives by dealing with its structural, artistic, and functional pieces. Since the poetry expresses very complicated feelings that may have different meanings depending on the backgrounds of both author and reader, it would not be enough just to focus on the text of the poem you are going to analyze. Poetry has a lot more complex structure and cannot be considered without its special rhythm, images, as well as implied and obvious sense.

While analyzing the poem, the students need to do in-depth research as to its content, taking into account the effect the poetry has or may have on the readers.

Preparing for the Poetry Analysis Writing

The process of preparation for the poem analysis essay writing is almost as important as writing itself. Without completing these stages, you may be at risk of failing your creative assignment. Learn them carefully to remember once and for good.

Thoroughly read the poem several times

The rereading of the poem assigned for analysis will help to catch its concepts and ideas. You will have a possibility to define the rhythm of the poem, its type, and list the techniques applied by the author.

While identifying the type of the poem, you need to define whether you are dealing with:

• Lyric poem – the one that elucidates feelings, experiences, and the emotional state of the author. It is usually short and doesn’t contain any narration;
• Limerick – consists of 5 lines, the first, second, and fifth of which rhyme with one another;
• Sonnet – a poem consisting of 14 lines characterized by an iambic pentameter. William Shakespeare wrote sonnets which have made him famous;
• Ode – 10-line poem aimed at praising someone or something;
• Haiku – a short 3-line poem originated from Japan. It reflects the deep sense hidden behind the ordinary phenomena and events of the physical world;
• Free-verse – poetry with no rhyme.

The type of the poem usually affects its structure and content, so it is important to be aware of all the recognized kinds to set a proper beginning to your poetry analysis.

Find out more about the poem background

Find as much information as possible about the author of the poem, the cultural background of the period it was written in, preludes to its creation, etc. All these data will help you get a better understanding of the poem’s sense and explain much to you in terms of the concepts the poem contains.

Define a subject matter of the poem

This is one of the most challenging tasks since as a rule, the subject matter of the poem isn’t clearly stated by the poets. They don’t want the readers to know immediately what their piece of writing is about and suggest everyone find something different between the lines.

What is the subject matter? In a nutshell, it is the main idea of the poem. Usually, a poem may have a couple of subjects, that is why it is important to list each of them.

In order to correctly identify the goals of a definite poem, you would need to dive into the in-depth research.

Check the historical background of the poetry. The author might have been inspired to write a poem based on some events that occurred in those times or people he met. The lines you analyze may be generated by his reaction to some epoch events. All this information can be easily found online.

Choose poem theories you will support

In the variety of ideas the poem may convey, it is important to stick to only several most important messages you think the author wanted to share with the readers. Each of the listed ideas must be supported by the corresponding evidence as proof of your opinion.

The poetry analysis essay format allows elaborating on several theses that have the most value and weight. Try to build your writing not only on the pure facts that are obvious from the context but also your emotions and feelings the analyzed lines provoke in you.

How to Choose a Poem to Analyze?

If you are free to choose the piece of writing you will base your poem analysis essay on, it is better to select the one you are already familiar with. This may be your favorite poem or one that you have read and analyzed before. In case you face difficulties choosing the subject area of a particular poem, then the best way will be to focus on the idea you feel most confident about. In such a way, you would be able to elaborate on the topic and describe it more precisely.

Now, when you are familiar with the notion of the poetry analysis essay, it’s high time to proceed to poem analysis essay outline. Follow the steps mentioned below to ensure a brilliant structure to your creative assignment.

Best Poem Analysis Essay Topics

• Mother To Son Poem Analysis
• We Real Cool Poem Analysis
• Invictus Poem Analysis
• Richard Cory Poem Analysis
• Ozymandias Poem Analysis
• Barbie Doll Poem Analysis
• Caged Bird Poem Analysis
• Ulysses Poem Analysis
• Dover Beach Poem Analysis
• Annabelle Lee Poem Analysis
• Daddy Poem Analysis
• The Raven Poem Analysis
• The Second Coming Poem Analysis
• Still I Rise Poem Analysis
• If Poem Analysis
• Fire And Ice Poem Analysis
• My Papa’S Waltz Poem Analysis
• Harlem Poem Analysis
• Kubla Khan Poem Analysis
• I Too Poem Analysis
• The Juggler Poem Analysis
• The Fish Poem Analysis
• Jabberwocky Poem Analysis
• Charge Of The Light Brigade Poem Analysis
• The Road Not Taken Poem Analysis
• Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus Poem Analysis
• The History Teacher Poem Analysis
• One Art Poem Analysis
• The Wanderer Poem Analysis
• We Wear The Mask Poem Analysis
• There Will Come Soft Rains Poem Analysis
• Digging Poem Analysis
• The Highwayman Poem Analysis
• The Tyger Poem Analysis
• London Poem Analysis
• Sympathy Poem Analysis
• I Am Joaquin Poem Analysis
• This Is Just To Say Poem Analysis
• Sex Without Love Poem Analysis
• Strange Fruit Poem Analysis
• Dulce Et Decorum Est Poem Analysis
• Emily Dickinson Poem Analysis
• The Flea Poem Analysis
• The Lamb Poem Analysis
• Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night Poem Analysis
• My Last Duchess Poetry Analysis

Poem Analysis Essay Outline

As has already been stated, a poetry analysis essay is considered one of the most challenging tasks for the students. Despite the difficulties you may face while dealing with it, the structure of the given type of essay is quite simple. It consists of the introduction, body paragraphs, and the conclusion. In order to get a better understanding of the poem analysis essay structure, check the brief guidelines below.

Introduction

This will be the first section of your essay. The main purpose of the introductory paragraph is to give a reader an idea of what the essay is about and what theses it conveys. The introduction should start with the title of the essay and end with the thesis statement.

The main goal of the introduction is to make readers feel intrigued about the whole concept of the essay and serve as a hook to grab their attention. Include some interesting information about the author, the historical background of the poem, some poem trivia, etc. There is no need to make the introduction too extensive. On the contrary, it should be brief and logical.

Body Paragraphs

The body section should form the main part of poetry analysis. Make sure you have determined a clear focus for your analysis and are ready to elaborate on the main message and meaning of the poem. Mention the tone of the poetry, its speaker, try to describe the recipient of the poem’s idea. Don’t forget to identify the poetic devices and language the author uses to reach the main goals. Describe the imagery and symbolism of the poem, its sound and rhythm.

Try not to stick to too many ideas in your body section, since it may make your essay difficult to understand and too chaotic to perceive. Generalization, however, is also not welcomed. Try to be specific in the description of your perspective.

Make sure the transitions between your paragraphs are smooth and logical to make your essay flow coherent and easy to catch.

In a nutshell, the essay conclusion is a paraphrased thesis statement. Mention it again but in different words to remind the readers of the main purpose of your essay. Sum up the key claims and stress the most important information. The conclusion cannot contain any new ideas and should be used to create a strong impact on the reader. This is your last chance to share your opinion with the audience and convince them your essay is worth readers’ attention.

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Poem Analysis Essay Examples 

A good poem analysis essay example may serve as a real magic wand to your creative assignment. You may take a look at the structure the other essay authors have used, follow their tone, and get a great share of inspiration and motivation.

Check several poetry analysis essay examples that may be of great assistance:

• https://study.com/academy/lesson/poetry-analysis-essay-example-for-english-literature.html
• https://www.slideshare.net/mariefincher/poetry-analysis-essay

Writing Tips for a Poetry Analysis Essay

If you read carefully all the instructions on how to write a poetry analysis essay provided above, you have probably realized that this is not the easiest assignment on Earth. However, you cannot fail and should try your best to present a brilliant essay to get the highest score. To make your life even easier, check these handy tips on how to analysis poetry with a few little steps.

• In case you have a chance to choose a poem for analysis by yourself, try to focus on one you are familiar with, you are interested in, or your favorite one. The writing process will be smooth and easy in case you are working on the task you truly enjoy.
• Before you proceed to the analysis itself, read the poem out loud to your colleague or just to yourself. It will help you find out some hidden details and senses that may result in new ideas.
• Always check the meaning of words you don’t know. Poetry is quite a tricky phenomenon where a single word or phrase can completely change the meaning of the whole piece. 
• Bother to double check if the conclusion of your essay is based on a single idea and is logically linked to the main body. Such an approach will demonstrate your certain focus and clearly elucidate your views. 
• Read between the lines. Poetry is about senses and emotions – it rarely contains one clearly stated subject matter. Describe the hidden meanings and mention the feelings this has provoked in you. Try to elaborate a full picture that would be based on what is said and what is meant.

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Poem Analysis Essay Guide: Outline, Template, Structure

Poetry analysis, which is similar to poetry review, involves analyzing the language and figures of speech used by a poet. It also entails sharing personal views regarding the poem and breaking down the poetic instruments utilized by the said poet. However, it’s not just about the words used (Headrick, 2014). It entails reading between the lines and understanding what made the poet come up with a particular poem. So it may require some background research on the author and history behind the creation of the poem.

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What Is A Poetry Analysis?

Poetry analysis may define as a critical review given on a poem, a reflection on the depth and gravity of a poem. It revolves around multiple aspects of a poem starting from the subject of a poem, its theme (meaning), tone, literary devices or speech figures, form to the feeling of the poet to how a reader feels about the poem. It is not only the analysis of techniques used in a poem, but poetry analysis provides a broader and wider picture of the poem, its reality, its hidden meanings between the lines, a study of poet’s mind, feeling and intention behind a poem. Different techniques used in poetry analysis are helpful tools in investigating and reviewing the poem. Behind every review or analysis vital research on poet (author), era (time frame), possible reasons, the background behind the conceptualization poem is vital.

One should read, understand and develop a thesis. Writing services also recommend researching more on the poet and his past works to understand the root of this particular idea.

If you have been asked to write a poem analysis essay, then it means to examine the piece and further dissect it into key elements including its form, techniques used and historical value. Then further appreciating the poem and highlighting to others these points, and gaining a better understanding.

It is also important to show as many ideas as possible that relate to the poem and then create conclusions on this.

To start writing a poetry analysis essay let's look at the prewriting stage.

How to Choose a Topic for a Poetry Analysis Essay?

• In the subject of the poem we mainly focus on the reasons such as why is the poem written or what is it all about?
• What is the context, the central content of the poem?
• Who wrote the poem and why?
• When and where the poet did write the poem, what or who has influenced the poet and what are the key features of the poem?

A topic should be chosen based on the theme you want to write. The theme is the message that the poem is trying to convey. You need to look therefore for concepts and notions that pop up in the poem and come up with an appropriate theme based on those perceptions or "feelings". If you can’t still figure out what topic you should choose for your analysis, it is recommended that you go through other poems similar poems and get a suitable topic for your analysis. Don’t also forget to cite your poem well. And also use in-text citations while quoting from the poem.

Related: COMING UP WITH ESSAY TOPIC IDEAS .

Poem Analysis Essay Outline

To create a good essay, it is needed to plan out the structure of a poem analysis essay so the writing stage will be easier and faster.

Here is an outline of a poem analysis essay to use:

Opening paragraph - Introduce the Poem, title, author and background.

Body of text - Make most of the analysis, linking ideas and referencing to the poem.

Conclusion - State one main idea, feelings and meanings.

Poem Analysis Essay Introduction

To start an introduction to a poem analysis essay, include the name of the poem and the author . Other details like the date of when it was published can also be stated. Then some background information and interesting facts or trivia regarding the poem or author can also be included here.

Poem Analysis Essay Body

When writing the main body of text keep in mind you have to reference all ideas to the poem so include a quotation to back up the sentence, otherwise, it will be a wasted comparison and not count. Be clear with your statements.

Poem Analysis Essay Conclusion

Now, this is where you should take a step back from analyzing the individual elements of the poem and work out its meaning as a whole. Combine the different elements of the analysis and put forward one main idea.

What is the poet trying to say, and how is it enforced and with what feeling? Then look at the meaning and what timeframe does this evolve over?

For example, is it obvious from the start, or does it gradually change towards the end? The last few lines can be very significant within a poem and so should be included in the poem analysis essay conclusion and commented on the impact on the piece.

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How to Analyze a Poem?

Before even thinking about your first draft, read the poem as much as possible. If it's possible, listen to it in the original form. This depends on many factors which include if the poet is still alive?

Also reading aloud can help identify other characteristics that could be missed and even to a friend or colleague will give a chance to more insight. It is important to remember that poetry is a form of art painted with only words, this said it could take time to fully appreciate the piece. So take note of any first thoughts you have about the poem, even if they are negative.

Your opinions can change over time but still mark these first thoughts down.

So that to analyze a poem properly, you have to pay attention to the following aspects:

Title of the Poem

So let's go deeper into the poem analysis essay and look at the title. The poet may have spent a lot of time thinking about naming the piece so what can be observed from this and what further questions can be asked?

• What are your expectations? For example, the poem could be titled “Alone” written by Edgar Allan Poe and from this it is natural to assume it will be sad. After reading further does the reality turn out to be different?
• What is the literature style used? So for example, the work could be called “His last sonnet” by John Keats. From appearance, it is possible to deduce that it could be in sonnet form and if not why did the poet choose to mislead the audience?
• What is the poem about? In the poem, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways” by Elizabeth Barrett, it already states what could be included and what to expect but if it differs from the title what would this suggest?

Literal Meaning of the Poetry

According to our  to fully appreciate a piece, it is needed to understand all the words used. So, for example, get a good dictionary and look up all the unknown words. Then go through partly known words and phrases and check these too. Also, maybe check the meaning of words that are used a lot, but remember some text may have had a different meaning a century ago, so use the internet to look up anything that is not clear. Furthermore, people and places and any cultural relevance of the time should be researched too to get a deeper look at the poet's attitude towards the piece. Patterns might become visible at this point and maybe the theme of the poem.

Structure of the Poem

When looking at the structure of the piece this will reveal more information so pay close attention to this. Look at the organization and sections, this will unlock more questions:

• What does each part discuss?
• How do the parts relate to each other?
• Can you see formal separations?
• What logical sense does it have?
• Is there emotional sense that can be evaluated?
• Does having a strict format say anything about the poet?
• Also failing to have a strict structure does this reveal something?

Once you have observed the structure, it is possible to go deeper into the poem analysis essay and investigate how the speaker communicates the poem to the reader.

Tone and Intonation of the Poetry

So now it is possible to look at the poet and see what details can be obtained from them. Is it possible to see the gender or age of the speaker? Is there some race or religious references to pick up on? Then can we see if the speaker is directly communicating their thoughts and ideas to the reader? If not, what is the character the poet has created to convey the ideas or messages? Does the poet's persona differ to the character created and what can be analyzed from this? Also the mood of the speaker could be available now, are they happy or sad, and how can you find out this from the poem?

Once the poet is understood it is possible to move onto who or what the poem is designed for. Then you can see the purpose of the poetry, what does the poet want from the reader? It is also possible that the poet does not desire a response from the audience and is simply making a statement or expressing themselves.

For example, a poem about spring could just be a happy statement that winter has ended. Looking from the other side, this could be an attempt to attract someone's attention or maybe just an instruction to plow the field.

Purpose of the Poem

The subject of the poem can help identify the purpose, as this usually will be what the poet is describing. Then the theme can be identified also, and what does it say about the work? Are there any links between the theme and the subject and what can analyzed from that? The timeframe is also an important factor to consider, for example, the poet's goal back when it was written, may have changed and why? Furthermore, has the original purpose survived the test of time and can it be said to be the best indicator of success?

Language and Imagery of the Poetry

Until this point it was only possible to analyze the literal information available which is the denotative meaning.’ Now let's look at the imagery, symbolism and figures of speech, this is the connotative meaning.

This is where you should look for pictures described within the text and analyze why they have been depicted? So for example, if the poet thas decided to describe the moon this could set the time in the work or maybe the mood of the poem. Also look for groups of images described and patterns within this, what can be deducted from that?

So when looking for symbolism within the text this could be an event or physical object, including people and places that represent non-physical entities like an emotion or concept. For example, a bird flying through the air can be seen as freedom and escaping usual conforms.

Poetic devices

In your analysis you will look at techniques like metaphors, similes, personification and alliteration to include just a few. It's important to identify the actual device used and why it was chosen. For example, when comparing something within the text using a metaphor then look at how they are connected and in what way they are expressed? Try to use all available clues to gain better insight into the mind of the poet.

Music of the Poem

Poetry and music have deep connections and can be compared together due to the history and uses throughout the ages.

Here are some things to look out for to help with those comparisons:

• Meter - This can be available to investigate in different ways, for example, iambic pentameter has a strict five beats per line just like a musical score if used what does it say?
• Rhythm - Just like with music, poem can have a rhythm but if there is no given meter, it is needed to look closer and observe what this does to the work. For example, a particular beat that is fast could make the poem happy.
• Special effects - Looking for not so obvious signs where the poet has written in a way so you take longer to pronounce words. Also it is possible to grab your attention in other ways, for what reason has the writer done that?
• Rhyme - There are many different types of rhyming techniques used within poetry, once identified look at how it impacts on the work like make it humorous for example? Be careful to look for unusual patterns for example rhymes within the lines and not just at the end of the sentences, even reading out aloud might help find these and then what does it this say about the poem?
• Sound effects - The depiction of different sounds can be powerful and also using different voices, look at what impact this has on the piece and why?
• Breaking Rules - Rhyme and meter for example can have very specific rules but what if the poet decided to break these conventional techniques and make something new, what does this add to the work and why

How to Write a Poem Analysis Essay?

Below you will find a compelling guide on how to analyze poetry with handy writing tips:

• Choose a suitable poem - If possible, before you start, pick the main subject of your essay, a poem that you would like to analyze. The more you find it interesting, the easier it will be to handle the task.
• Read it fully - If you are wondering how to analyse poetry, the first step you can’t go without is carefully reading the chosen poem multiple times and, preferably, out loud.
• Always double-check the meanings - When reading a poem, don’t forget to check for the meanings of unknown (and known as well) words and phrases.
• Collect all the details you need - To write a compelling essay, you need to study the poem’s structure, contents, main ideas, as well as other background details.
• Explore hidden meanings - When analyzing poem, be sure to look beyond the words. Instead, focus on finding broader, hidden ideas that the author wanted to share through his piece.
• Make an outline - Once you have analyzed poem, outline your essay and write it following the plan.
• Proofread and edit - Finally, once your essay is ready, take your time to revise and polish it carefully.

Poetry Analysis Template

To write a winning poem analysis essay, use the template below or order an essay from our professionals.

Introduction

• Name of Poem
• Name of Poet
• Date of Publication
• Background or any relevant information

Form of poem

• Structure of poem
• Rhyme of poem

Meaning of poem

• Overall meaning
• How can we relate the poem to our life

Poetic Techniques

• Literary devices

Form of the Poem

Poems are written in some ways, here one need to identify which structure the poet has used for the poem. The forms of poems broadly are stanzas, rhythm, punctuation and rhymes. Carefully analyze the length and number of stanzas , does the rhythm impacts the meaning of the poem, is there many punctuations or little, either the rhyme is consistent, or it’s breaking and what is the rhyme contributing to the meaning of the poem or is it random.

Theme, Meaning or Message of the Poem

In this part, we focus on the topic, main issue or idea of the poem. There are layers of meaning hidden in a poem.

• Meaning: surface meaning that what is actually or physically happening in the poem which a reader can sense.
• Deeper Meaning: the central idea of the poem or what is it actually about.
• Theme: in poetry, there is always a hidden meaning in every line, which depicts the message about life.

Numerous topics can be covered in poems such as love, life, death, birth, nature, memory, war, age, sexuality, experience, religion, race, faith, creator and many others.

Tone of the Poem

The tone of the poem shows attitude or mood of the language used by the poet. Analyze the different shades of the language used in the poem for example; is it formal, judgmental, informal, critical, positive, bitter, reflective, solemn, frustrated, optimistic, ironic, scornful, regretful or morbid.

Literary Device used in the Poem

Find out what the different literary devices are or what sort of figures of speech is used by the poet . Analyze these techniques and suggest their use in the poem by the poet. The poem can contain a symbol, similes, metaphor, alliteration, allegories, oxymoron, assonances, dissonances, repetition, hyperbole, irony.

Conclusion or Feel of the Poem

Lastly, analyze the emotions and feelings linked with the poem; of the poet and what do you feel when you read the poem. This is the very critical part of reviewing a poem because we analyze the inner depth of the poem, the intention & feelings of the poet, the targeted audience, does the poem reflect the poet’s persona, perspective or it does not match with the poet.

Poetry Analysis Essay Example

Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s Poem “Annabel Lee”

Written in 1849 and first published after the author’s death, Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe is a beautiful story of true love that goes beyond life. In the poem, the author is commemorating the girl named Annabel Lee, whom he knew since childhood. Despite the young age, the love between the narrator and Annabel was so deep and true that even angels were jealous, and, according to Edgar Allan Poe, their jealousy was so severe that they killed the love of his life. The poem ends with young Annabel Lee being buried in a tomb, leaving the readers with a feeling that the author kept holding on to his love for her for many years after her death.

The two evident topics in the poem are love and loss. The entire narration revolves around the author’s agonizing memory, at the same time demonstrating to the readers the purity and power of true love that makes him cherish the memory of his beloved one even after she is gone. Apart from that, Edgar Allan Poe also discusses such issues of love as jealousy and envy. The author states that the love of the two teens was so strong that even angels in heaven were not half as happy as Annabel and Edgar, which caused them to invade the teens’ romantic “kingdom by the sea” and kill the girl.

The topics discussed in the poem, as well as the style of narration itself, give the poem a very romantic atmosphere. It follows the main principles of the romantic era in poetry in the 18th and 19th centuries, which Edgar Allan Poe was representing. At the same time, the author also gives his poem a sense of musicality and rhythm. The poem’s rhyme scheme puts emphasis on the words “Lee”, “me”, and “sea”. The repetition of these words gives the poem a song-like sound.

A significant role in Edgar Allan Poe’s poem is played by imagery, which emphasizes the author’s unique style. The main imagery used by Allan Poe in Annabel Lee is the Kingdom. The author uses this imagery to set the right tone for his poem and give it a sort of a fairytale feel. At the same time, this imagery is used to take the reader to a different place, though not specifying what exactly this place is. To confirm this - the author uses the phrase “the kingdom by the sea” multiple times in his piece, never specifying its meaning. This trick enables the readers to leave this to their own imagination.

Apart from the Kingdom, the author also operates with the imagery of angels and demons. The narrator blames them for their envy for their deep love, which resulted in the death of Annable Lee. Thus, the author gives a negative attitude towards this imagery. This brings us to another big topic of good and evil discussed in the poem.

Nevertheless, even though the angels’ intervention seems to be clear to the reader from what the author says, Poe’s choice of words doesn’t directly implicate their responsibility for the girl’s death. The narrator blames everybody for his loss. However, he does this in a very tactical and covert way.

In conclusion, it becomes clear that the narrator in Annabel Lee did not only pursue a goal to share his pain and loss. He also emphasizes that true love is everlasting by stating that his love for the gone girl lives with him after all these years. With all its deep topics, imagery, and musicality, Annabel Lee is now considered one of the best works by Edgar Allan Poe.

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Introduction

You’ve been assigned a literary analysis paper—what does that even mean? Is it like a book report that you used to write in high school? Well, not really.

A literary analysis essay asks you to make an original argument about a poem, play, or work of fiction and support that argument with research and evidence from your careful reading of the text.

It can take many forms, such as a close reading of a text, critiquing the text through a particular literary theory, comparing one text to another, or criticizing another critic’s interpretation of the text. While there are many ways to structure a literary essay, writing this kind of essay follows generally follows a similar process for everyone

Crafting a good literary analysis essay begins with good close reading of the text, in which you have kept notes and observations as you read. This will help you with the first step, which is selecting a topic to write about—what jumped out as you read, what are you genuinely interested in? The next step is to focus your topic, developing it into an argument—why is this subject or observation important? Why should your reader care about it as much as you do? The third step is to gather evidence to support your argument, for literary analysis, support comes in the form of evidence from the text and from your research on what other literary critics have said about your topic. Only after you have performed these steps, are you ready to begin actually writing your essay.

Writing a Literary Analysis Essay

How to create a topic and conduct research:.

Writing an Analysis of a Poem, Story, or Play

If you are taking a literature course, it is important that you know how to write an analysis—sometimes called an interpretation or a literary analysis or a critical reading or a critical analysis—of a story, a poem, and a play. Your instructor will probably assign such an analysis as part of the course assessment. On your mid-term or final exam, you might have to write an analysis of one or more of the poems and/or stories on your reading list. Or the dreaded “sight poem or story” might appear on an exam, a work that is not on the reading list, that you have not read before, but one your instructor includes on the exam to examine your ability to apply the active reading skills you have learned in class to produce, independently, an effective literary analysis.You might be asked to write instead or, or in addition to an analysis of a literary work, a more sophisticated essay in which you compare and contrast the protagonists of two stories, or the use of form and metaphor in two poems, or the tragic heroes in two plays.

You might learn some literary theory in your course and be asked to apply theory—feminist, Marxist, reader-response, psychoanalytic, new historicist, for example—to one or more of the works on your reading list. But the seminal assignment in a literature course is the analysis of the single poem, story, novel, or play, and, even if you do not have to complete this assignment specifically, it will form the basis of most of the other writing assignments you will be required to undertake in your literature class. There are several ways of structuring a literary analysis, and your instructor might issue specific instructions on how he or she wants this assignment done. The method presented here might not be identical to the one your instructor wants you to follow, but it will be easy enough to modify, if your instructor expects something a bit different, and it is a good default method, if your instructor does not issue more specific guidelines.You want to begin your analysis with a paragraph that provides the context of the work you are analyzing and a brief account of what you believe to be the poem or story or play’s main theme. At a minimum, your account of the work’s context will include the name of the author, the title of the work, its genre, and the date and place of publication. If there is an important biographical or historical context to the work, you should include that, as well.Try to express the work’s theme in one or two sentences. Theme, you will recall, is that insight into human experience the author offers to readers, usually revealed as the content, the drama, the plot of the poem, story, or play unfolds and the characters interact. Assessing theme can be a complex task. Authors usually show the theme; they don’t tell it. They rarely say, at the end of the story, words to this effect: “and the moral of my story is…” They tell their story, develop their characters, provide some kind of conflict—and from all of this theme emerges. Because identifying theme can be challenging and subjective, it is often a good idea to work through the rest of the analysis, then return to the beginning and assess theme in light of your analysis of the work’s other literary elements.Here is a good example of an introductory paragraph from Ben’s analysis of William Butler Yeats’ poem, “Among School Children.”

“Among School Children” was published in Yeats’ 1928 collection of poems The Tower. It was inspired by a visit Yeats made in 1926 to school in Waterford, an official visit in his capacity as a senator of the Irish Free State. In the course of the tour, Yeats reflects upon his own youth and the experiences that shaped the “sixty-year old, smiling public man” (line 8) he has become. Through his reflection, the theme of the poem emerges: a life has meaning when connections among apparently disparate experiences are forged into a unified whole.

In the body of your literature analysis, you want to guide your readers through a tour of the poem, story, or play, pausing along the way to comment on, analyze, interpret, and explain key incidents, descriptions, dialogue, symbols, the writer’s use of figurative language—any of the elements of literature that are relevant to a sound analysis of this particular work. Your main goal is to explain how the elements of literature work to elucidate, augment, and develop the theme. The elements of literature are common across genres: a story, a narrative poem, and a play all have a plot and characters. But certain genres privilege certain literary elements. In a poem, for example, form, imagery and metaphor might be especially important; in a story, setting and point-of-view might be more important than they are in a poem; in a play, dialogue, stage directions, lighting serve functions rarely relevant in the analysis of a story or poem.

The length of the body of an analysis of a literary work will usually depend upon the length of work being analyzed—the longer the work, the longer the analysis—though your instructor will likely establish a word limit for this assignment. Make certain that you do not simply paraphrase the plot of the story or play or the content of the poem. This is a common weakness in student literary analyses, especially when the analysis is of a poem or a play.

Here is a good example of two body paragraphs from Amelia’s analysis of “Araby” by James Joyce.

Within the story’s first few paragraphs occur several religious references which will accumulate as the story progresses. The narrator is a student at the Christian Brothers’ School; the former tenant of his house was a priest; he left behind books called The Abbot and The Devout Communicant. Near the end of the story’s second paragraph the narrator describes a “central apple tree” in the garden, under which is “the late tenant’s rusty bicycle pump.” We may begin to suspect the tree symbolizes the apple tree in the Garden of Eden and the bicycle pump, the snake which corrupted Eve, a stretch, perhaps, until Joyce’s fall-of-innocence theme becomes more apparent.

The narrator must continue to help his aunt with her errands, but, even when he is so occupied, his mind is on Mangan’s sister, as he tries to sort out his feelings for her. Here Joyce provides vivid insight into the mind of an adolescent boy at once elated and bewildered by his first crush. He wants to tell her of his “confused adoration,” but he does not know if he will ever have the chance. Joyce’s description of the pleasant tension consuming the narrator is conveyed in a striking simile, which continues to develop the narrator’s character, while echoing the religious imagery, so important to the story’s theme: “But my body was like a harp, and her words and gestures were like fingers, running along the wires.”

The concluding paragraph of your analysis should realize two goals. First, it should present your own opinion on the quality of the poem or story or play about which you have been writing. And, second, it should comment on the current relevance of the work. You should certainly comment on the enduring social relevance of the work you are explicating. You may comment, though you should never be obliged to do so, on the personal relevance of the work. Here is the concluding paragraph from Dao-Ming’s analysis of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.

First performed in 1895, The Importance of Being Earnest has been made into a film, as recently as 2002 and is regularly revived by professional and amateur theatre companies. It endures not only because of the comic brilliance of its characters and their dialogue, but also because its satire still resonates with contemporary audiences. I am still amazed that I see in my own Asian mother a shadow of Lady Bracknell, with her obsession with finding for her daughter a husband who will maintain, if not, ideally, increase the family’s social status. We might like to think we are more liberated and socially sophisticated than our Victorian ancestors, but the starlets and eligible bachelors who star in current reality television programs illustrate the extent to which superficial concerns still influence decisions about love and even marriage. Even now, we can turn to Oscar Wilde to help us understand and laugh at those who are earnest in name only.

Dao-Ming’s conclusion is brief, but she does manage to praise the play, reaffirm its main theme, and explain its enduring appeal. And note how her last sentence cleverly establishes that sense of closure that is also a feature of an effective analysis.

You may, of course, modify the template that is presented here. Your instructor might favour a somewhat different approach to literary analysis. Its essence, though, will be your understanding and interpretation of the theme of the poem, story, or play and the skill with which the author shapes the elements of literature—plot, character, form, diction, setting, point of view—to support the theme.

Academic Writing Tips : How to Write a Literary Analysis Paper. Authored by: eHow. Located at: https://youtu.be/8adKfLwIrVk. License: All Rights Reserved. License Terms: Standard YouTube license

BC Open Textbooks: English Literature Victorians and Moderns: https://opentextbc.ca/englishliterature/back-matter/appendix-5-writing-an-analysis-of-a-poem-story-and-play/

Literary Analysis

The challenges of writing about english literature.

Writing begins with the act of reading . While this statement is true for most college papers, strong English papers tend to be the product of highly attentive reading (and rereading). When your instructors ask you to do a “close reading,” they are asking you to read not only for content, but also for structures and patterns. When you perform a close reading, then, you observe how form and content interact. In some cases, form reinforces content: for example, in John Donne’s Holy Sonnet 14, where the speaker invites God’s “force” “to break, blow, burn and make [him] new.” Here, the stressed monosyllables of the verbs “break,” “blow” and “burn” evoke aurally the force that the speaker invites from God. In other cases, form raises questions about content: for example, a repeated denial of guilt will likely raise questions about the speaker’s professed innocence. When you close read, take an inductive approach. Start by observing particular details in the text, such as a repeated image or word, an unexpected development, or even a contradiction. Often, a detail–such as a repeated image–can help you to identify a question about the text that warrants further examination. So annotate details that strike you as you read. Some of those details will eventually help you to work towards a thesis. And don’t worry if a detail seems trivial. If you can make a case about how an apparently trivial detail reveals something significant about the text, then your paper will have a thought-provoking thesis to argue.

Common Types of English Papers Many assignments will ask you to analyze a single text. Others, however, will ask you to read two or more texts in relation to each other, or to consider a text in light of claims made by other scholars and critics. For most assignments, close reading will be central to your paper. While some assignment guidelines will suggest topics and spell out expectations in detail, others will offer little more than a page limit. Approaching the writing process in the absence of assigned topics can be daunting, but remember that you have resources: in section, you will probably have encountered some examples of close reading; in lecture, you will have encountered some of the course’s central questions and claims. The paper is a chance for you to extend a claim offered in lecture, or to analyze a passage neglected in lecture. In either case, your analysis should do more than recapitulate claims aired in lecture and section. Because different instructors have different goals for an assignment, you should always ask your professor or TF if you have questions. These general guidelines should apply in most cases:

• A close reading of a single text: Depending on the length of the text, you will need to be more or less selective about what you choose to consider. In the case of a sonnet, you will probably have enough room to analyze the text more thoroughly than you would in the case of a novel, for example, though even here you will probably not analyze every single detail. By contrast, in the case of a novel, you might analyze a repeated scene, image, or object (for example, scenes of train travel, images of decay, or objects such as or typewriters). Alternately, you might analyze a perplexing scene (such as a novel’s ending, albeit probably in relation to an earlier moment in the novel). But even when analyzing shorter works, you will need to be selective. Although you might notice numerous interesting details as you read, not all of those details will help you to organize a focused argument about the text. For example, if you are focusing on depictions of sensory experience in Keats’ “Ode to a Nightingale,” you probably do not need to analyze the image of a homeless Ruth in stanza 7, unless this image helps you to develop your case about sensory experience in the poem.
• A theoretically-informed close reading. In some courses, you will be asked to analyze a poem, a play, or a novel by using a critical theory (psychoanalytic, postcolonial, gender, etc). For example, you might use Kristeva’s theory of abjection to analyze mother-daughter relations in Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved. Critical theories provide focus for your analysis; if “abjection” is the guiding concept for your paper, you should focus on the scenes in the novel that are most relevant to the concept.
• A historically-informed close reading. In courses with a historicist orientation, you might use less self-consciously literary documents, such as newspapers or devotional manuals, to develop your analysis of a literary work. For example, to analyze how Robinson Crusoe makes sense of his island experiences, you might use Puritan tracts that narrate events in terms of how God organizes them. The tracts could help you to show not only how Robinson Crusoe draws on Puritan narrative conventions, but also—more significantly—how the novel revises those conventions.
• A comparison of two texts When analyzing two texts, you might look for unexpected contrasts between apparently similar texts, or unexpected similarities between apparently dissimilar texts, or for how one text revises or transforms the other. Keep in mind that not all of the similarities, differences, and transformations you identify will be relevant to an argument about the relationship between the two texts. As you work towards a thesis, you will need to decide which of those similarities, differences, or transformations to focus on. Moreover, unless instructed otherwise, you do not need to allot equal space to each text (unless this 50/50 allocation serves your thesis well, of course). Often you will find that one text helps to develop your analysis of another text. For example, you might analyze the transformation of Ariel’s song from The Tempest in T. S. Eliot’s poem, The Waste Land. Insofar as this analysis is interested in the afterlife of Ariel’s song in a later poem, you would likely allot more space to analyzing allusions to Ariel’s song in The Waste Land (after initially establishing the song’s significance in Shakespeare’s play, of course).
• A response paper A response paper is a great opportunity to practice your close reading skills without having to develop an entire argument. In most cases, a solid approach is to select a rich passage that rewards analysis (for example, one that depicts an important scene or a recurring image) and close read it. While response papers are a flexible genre, they are not invitations for impressionistic accounts of whether you liked the work or a particular character. Instead, you might use your close reading to raise a question about the text—to open up further investigation, rather than to supply a solution.
• A research paper. In most cases, you will receive guidance from the professor on the scope of the research paper. It is likely that you will be expected to consult sources other than the assigned readings. Hollis is your best bet for book titles, and the MLA bibliography (available through e-resources) for articles. When reading articles, make sure that they have been peer reviewed; you might also ask your TF to recommend reputable journals in the field.

Harvard College Writing Program: https://writingproject.fas.harvard.edu/files/hwp/files/bg_writing_english.pdf

In the same way that we talk with our friends about the latest episode of Game of Thrones or newest Marvel movie, scholars communicate their ideas and interpretations of literature through written literary analysis essays. Literary analysis essays make us better readers of literature.

Only through careful reading and well-argued analysis can we reach new understandings and interpretations of texts that are sometimes hundreds of years old. Literary analysis brings new meaning and can shed new light on texts. Building from careful reading and selecting a topic that you are genuinely interested in, your argument supports how you read and understand a text. Using examples from the text you are discussing in the form of textual evidence further supports your reading. Well-researched literary analysis also includes information about what other scholars have written about a specific text or topic.

Literary analysis helps us to refine our ideas, question what we think we know, and often generates new knowledge about literature. Literary analysis essays allow you to discuss your own interpretation of a given text through careful examination of the choices the original author made in the text.

ENG134 – Literary Genres Copyright © by The American Women's College and Jessica Egan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Poetry Analysis: How to Analyze a Poem

Every author and poet has their own unique style that cannot be replicated. Based on how they think or what they are trying to portray, they create various poems to explore several ideas or theories that were on their mind.

By mastering how to analyze poetry, you also learn how to ask questions, see multiple meanings in simple things, and develop figurative thinking. Let’s give your brain a boost! Discover how to write poetry analysis from EssayPro service - custom dissertation writing .

What Is a Poetry Analysis?

Poetry analysis is the process of reviewing the multiple artistic, functional, and structural pieces that make up a poem. Typically, this review is conducted and recorded within the structure of a literary analysis essay.

The nature of poetry is expressing complex feelings, which usually makes multiple meanings. To understand them, you must examine not only words, but also rhythm, images, obvious meaning, and implied meaning.

Writing a poem analysis essay requires one to take a more in-depth look at both the choices that a poet made and the overall effects of those choices. These papers need a detailed analysis of all of the parts that were used to form a work of poetry.

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4 Pre-Writing Steps to Take

Read the poem carefully.

It is essential to reread the analyzed poetry several times to get a full grasp of the numerous ideas and concepts. This also gives you an opportunity to make a note of the rhyme scheme (if there is one), the type of poem (limerick, ode, sonnet, lyric, haiku, free verse, etc.) and other poetic techniques that the poet used (such as enjambment, meter, end-stopped lines, figurative language, etc.).

• Limerick: Limerick is a stanza of five lines, with the first, second and fifth rhyming with one another and having three feet of three syllables each; and the shorter third and fourth lines also rhyme with each other, but having only two feet of three syllables.
• Ode: Its structure — 10-line stanzas rhyming, with the 8th line iambic trimeter and all the others iambic pentameter
• Sonnet: A fourteen-line poem written in iambic pentameter. Was made famous by non-other than Shakespeare! (Shakespeare invented the word "swag"... just saying)
• Lyric: A lyric poem is a comparatively short, non-narrative poem in which a single speaker presents a state of mind or an emotional state. Rather than tell a story, the speaker talks about his thoughts using a specific rhyming style.
• Haiku: Invented by the Japanese, a haiku is a three-line poem with seventeen syllables, written in a 5/7/5 syllable count.
• Free-Verse: Rather simple, free verse is poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular rhythm.

All of those elements of the poem are essential to know when one is writing a poetry analysis essay because they are a part of the poem’s structure and can affect the content.

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Learn About the Background of the Poem

This means that you can find it beneficial to look up the poet, the date that the poem was written, and the cultural context of the work. All of that information typically gives the reader a more in-depth understanding of the poem, and it seems self-explanatory that one who has an enhanced comprehension of the poem would have an easier time analyzing that poem.

Define a Composition Dedicated to the Subject Matter of the Poem

This can be analyzed during the reader’s quest to determine the theme, tone, mood, and meaning of the poem. The subject matter — and the thematic elements that support the intended message behind the subject — is often an interpretive minefield.

Pick a Side Among the Various Theories That You Have Created

Often, people have different ideas about what a poet is trying to say by their use of a subject, so unless the message is implicitly stated, it is best to report multiple possibilities about what the poet may have meant and included evidence for these theories.

The amateur writer can try to elaborate on several existing ideas and theories. Be careful not to mistake this with choosing a popular opinion or biased one. They should be defending the one that carries the most weight or offers the most validation. As the essay is supposed to be an analysis, try to avoid opinions in favor of facts and conjectures that are backed by evidence from work.

How to Choose a Poem to Analyze?

A great way to choose a topic for a poetry analysis essay is to decide on one that would deal with information that you are already familiar with. For example, if the choice of the poem to analyze is up to you, then it may be beneficial for you to choose a poem that you have encountered before. If the choice is to be made between different subject areas within a poem, then you could find it easier to choose to focus on writing about an area that plays to your strengths, so that the statements made in the essay are conveyed clearly and confidently.

A poem analysis essay may seem like a daunting writing assignment at first, but if the topic, outline, and paper are composed following the steps mentioned above, the paper will no doubt, turn out very well.

Poetry Analysis Essay Outline

An outline for a poetry analysis essay can be very simple. It is merely a guideline for the writer to build upon. Put the title of the paper at the top of the page, then place the number one (1) underneath, just before the word “Introduction.” Under this, you can list brainstormed ideas for the introduction paragraph of the paper. The final portion of this section should be dedicated to the thesis statement of the paper.

Need a poetry analysis essay outline? Here is a basic structure to follow for your outline:

Following an outline for a poetry research essay is recommended to make sure you organize all your thoughts and statements you want to say. No matter whether you know how to write poetry — an outline will help identify areas that need to be explored in the analysis.

Introduction

Starting with the title for the analysis can be something very basic or a clever quote, a statement from the piece. Moving onto the introduction to poetry analysis, this should open with a “hook” to get the reader's attention. Follow up with the Authors name and title for the piece. Add some interesting trivia or background info that is not known to the audience, but try to keep it short. To finish off the introduction to a poetry analysis, state your thesis.

The bulk of ideas and comparisons need to be explored here in a clear, focused way. When writing a poetry analysis, each paragraph should be devoted to one point or feature you are comparing. You can divide each point by using the corresponding letter from the outline. Try to make it a coherent and specific about what is being compared (example: when stating your ideas about what the poetic devices do to the piece check whether you state each one and do not generalize). Using transition words and phrases will keep the paragraphs flowing well and more helpful to read.

It's important when looking at how to analyze a poem to finish with a set-out conclusion. Firstly, start by restating the thesis in different words. Summarize the most important findings to prove the thesis. From this, you can draw up your own opinions and take a step back and say what it all means with one key idea. Lastly, try to leave the reader with something memorable to take away with them (a thought-provoking sentence or question about the poem).

Tips for a Poetry Analysis

We have put together some handy tips to help you with when writing a poetry analysis essay:

• If possible, choose a poem that you would like to write about. This seems like a simple enough idea but very relevant. If you have the choice pick a poem you enjoy.
• Try reading the poem to a colleague or friend and even just out loud to yourself. This will help discover any hidden information from the sound, and it’s always good to get a second opinion or extra ideas.
• Don’t be scared to double-check the meanings of words and phrases. This is vital to know how to write a poem analysis essay and to the best, you can. Some words may have had different meanings, cultural references and places all should be looked up if only half certain.
• Check if the conclusion has one clear central idea or theme. Do not put in many confusing ideas or conclusions as this will look like you have not evaluated the work with focus. To go beyond a simple poetry analysis for middle school, try to show how it links to broader themes and the outside world.
• Always try to look beyond the words themselves. Hunt for hidden meanings and any little clues upon which to build a picture. Anybody could know how to write a poem but to explore the hidden meanings within poetry takes time, skill, and a lot of research.

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'I want pay someone to write my research paper ' - we get such messages every day. Ask our analytical essay writing services for help anytime. Check out this free blog on WRITING A THESIS STATEMENT for some extra help.

Poetry Analysis Essay Example

Read also a very fascinating article the Divine Comedy summary . Our readers find it very informative.

Ballad of Birmingham is the author of the poem that revolves around a little girl who would like to go downtown to take part in a freedom protest. Her mother, however, says that she cannot go because of the dangerous conditions outside. Her mother instead tells her to go to church despite the little girl's constant explanations that she would not be alone. Defeated and in a show of respect for her mother, the little girl gets dressed and goes to church. Her mother is contented that she would be fine at the church. Sooner her mother hears of an explosion that sets her racing downtown in search of her daughter. Unfortunately, she finds her daughters dress and shoes in the piles and rubbles. She is left wondering where her daughter is.

Have a Poem to Analyze and Feel Stumped?

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Writing About Poetry

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This section covers the basics of how to write about poetry, including why it is done, what you should know, and what you can write about.

Writing about poetry can be one of the most demanding tasks that many students face in a literature class. Poetry, by its very nature, makes demands on a writer who attempts to analyze it that other forms of literature do not. So how can you write a clear, confident, well-supported essay about poetry? This handout offers answers to some common questions about writing about poetry.

What's the Point?

In order to write effectively about poetry, one needs a clear idea of what the point of writing about poetry is. When you are assigned an analytical essay about a poem in an English class, the goal of the assignment is usually to argue a specific thesis about the poem, using your analysis of specific elements in the poem and how those elements relate to each other to support your thesis.

So why would your teacher give you such an assignment? What are the benefits of learning to write analytic essays about poetry? Several important reasons suggest themselves:

• To help you learn to make a text-based argument. That is, to help you to defend ideas based on a text that is available to you and other readers. This sharpens your reasoning skills by forcing you to formulate an interpretation of something someone else has written and to support that interpretation by providing logically valid reasons why someone else who has read the poem should agree with your argument. This isn't a skill that is just important in academics, by the way. Lawyers, politicians, and journalists often find that they need to make use of similar skills.
• To help you to understand what you are reading more fully. Nothing causes a person to make an extra effort to understand difficult material like the task of writing about it. Also, writing has a way of helping you to see things that you may have otherwise missed simply by causing you to think about how to frame your own analysis.
• To help you enjoy poetry more! This may sound unlikely, but one of the real pleasures of poetry is the opportunity to wrestle with the text and co-create meaning with the author. When you put together a well-constructed analysis of the poem, you are not only showing that you understand what is there, you are also contributing to an ongoing conversation about the poem. If your reading is convincing enough, everyone who has read your essay will get a little more out of the poem because of your analysis.

What Should I Know about Writing about Poetry?

Most importantly, you should realize that a paper that you write about a poem or poems is an argument. Make sure that you have something specific that you want to say about the poem that you are discussing. This specific argument that you want to make about the poem will be your thesis. You will support this thesis by drawing examples and evidence from the poem itself. In order to make a credible argument about the poem, you will want to analyze how the poem works—what genre the poem fits into, what its themes are, and what poetic techniques and figures of speech are used.

What Can I Write About?

Theme: One place to start when writing about poetry is to look at any significant themes that emerge in the poetry. Does the poetry deal with themes related to love, death, war, or peace? What other themes show up in the poem? Are there particular historical events that are mentioned in the poem? What are the most important concepts that are addressed in the poem?

Genre: What kind of poem are you looking at? Is it an epic (a long poem on a heroic subject)? Is it a sonnet (a brief poem, usually consisting of fourteen lines)? Is it an ode? A satire? An elegy? A lyric? Does it fit into a specific literary movement such as Modernism, Romanticism, Neoclassicism, or Renaissance poetry? This is another place where you may need to do some research in an introductory poetry text or encyclopedia to find out what distinguishes specific genres and movements.

Versification: Look closely at the poem's rhyme and meter. Is there an identifiable rhyme scheme? Is there a set number of syllables in each line? The most common meter for poetry in English is iambic pentameter, which has five feet of two syllables each (thus the name "pentameter") in each of which the strongly stressed syllable follows the unstressed syllable. You can learn more about rhyme and meter by consulting our handout on sound and meter in poetry or the introduction to a standard textbook for poetry such as the Norton Anthology of Poetry . Also relevant to this category of concerns are techniques such as caesura (a pause in the middle of a line) and enjambment (continuing a grammatical sentence or clause from one line to the next). Is there anything that you can tell about the poem from the choices that the author has made in this area? For more information about important literary terms, see our handout on the subject.

Figures of speech: Are there literary devices being used that affect how you read the poem? Here are some examples of commonly discussed figures of speech:

• metaphor: comparison between two unlike things
• simile: comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as"
• metonymy: one thing stands for something else that is closely related to it (For example, using the phrase "the crown" to refer to the king would be an example of metonymy.)
• synecdoche: a part stands in for a whole (For example, in the phrase "all hands on deck," "hands" stands in for the people in the ship's crew.)
• personification: a non-human thing is endowed with human characteristics
• litotes: a double negative is used for poetic effect (example: not unlike, not displeased)
• irony: a difference between the surface meaning of the words and the implications that may be drawn from them

Cultural Context: How does the poem you are looking at relate to the historical context in which it was written? For example, what's the cultural significance of Walt Whitman's famous elegy for Lincoln "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed" in light of post-Civil War cultural trends in the U.S.A? How does John Donne's devotional poetry relate to the contentious religious climate in seventeenth-century England? These questions may take you out of the literature section of your library altogether and involve finding out about philosophy, history, religion, economics, music, or the visual arts.

What Style Should I Use?

It is useful to follow some standard conventions when writing about poetry. First, when you analyze a poem, it is best to use present tense rather than past tense for your verbs. Second, you will want to make use of numerous quotations from the poem and explain their meaning and their significance to your argument. After all, if you do not quote the poem itself when you are making an argument about it, you damage your credibility. If your teacher asks for outside criticism of the poem as well, you should also cite points made by other critics that are relevant to your argument. A third point to remember is that there are various citation formats for citing both the material you get from the poems themselves and the information you get from other critical sources. The most common citation format for writing about poetry is the Modern Language Association (MLA) format .

Literary Focus

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—AP Poetry Analysis—

We choose our AP Poetry Analysis prompts not just to prepare students for the essay on the AP Literature exam, but also to introduce the major themes of the novel or play through a complementary text that addresses the subject matter through a different lens.  Similar to the thought-provoking quotation that we use as the basis of our Journal Discussions, we want to give students another perspective on the issues they will encounter in the novel or play they are about to read.

Oftentimes, the choice of poem is relatively obvious by allusions made in the title or text of the novel or play.  For instance, when reading Chinua Achebe's  Things Fall Apart , it makes sense to analyze William Butler Yeats' "The Second Coming," the poem from which the title of the novel is taken.  Similarly, when reading Kate Chopin's  The Awakening , it is helpful to analyze Charles Swinburne's "A Cameo" since Gouvernail murmurs the first two lines of the poem during Edna's farewell dinner on Esplanade Street. There is a reason that authors and playwrights allude to other literary works, and our job as readers is to determine the thematic connection between the two. 

When there is not an obvious allusion made in the title or text, we have the opportunity to select a poem that relates thematically to the novel or play and is consistent with the AP Literary Analysis prompt already chosen.  For instance, when we teach Sandra Cisneros'  The House on Mango Street , we want students to focus on how Esperanza's feelings towards her neighborhood change over the course of the novel.  To achieve this purpose we chose the 2010 AP Literary Argument prompt for our final essay:

"You can leave home all you want, but home will never leave you."

- Sonsyrea Tate

Sonsyrea Tate's statement suggests that "home" may be conceived as a dwelling, a place, or a state of mind.  It may have positive or negative associations, but in either case, it may have a considerable influence on the individual.

Choose a novel or play in which a central character leaves home yet finds that home remains significant.  Write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the importance of "home" to this character and the reasons for its continuing influence.  Explain how the character's idea of home illuminates the larger meaning of the work.

While there are many poems that focus on the concept of "home," we selected Robert Hayden's "Those Winter Sundays" to compare and contrast with Cisneros' work.  When analyzing any piece of literature, we focus on the four pillars of style analysis:  diction, imagery, language, and syntax.  We go into depth on all four pillars in the Style Analysis Tutorial , so for this section we will focus on what is unique about analyzing poetry in comparison to prose.

When we present a poem to the class, we structure it like an AP Poetry Analysis prompt that students will find on the AP Literature exam so they get more comfortable with the format:

When we first introduce poetry to students, we note that paragraphs and sentences in prose have been replaced with stanzas and lines in poetry.  We emphasize, however, that most poetry is still written in complete thoughts and contains end punctuation.  Our advice to students is to read poetry as if it were prose, pausing and stopping when the punctuation dictates.  We always read poems out loud in class twice — the first time by the teacher to model how it should sound and then a second time by a student reader.  For poems with multiple long stanzas, we might have different students read different stanzas aloud.  

Since every word in poetry is important, we first define any words that students might not know —like "indifferently" or "austere" in Hayden's poem, for example .  We want students to consider the significance of the diction, imagery, and language in a poem —which, again, we discuss in detail in the Style Analysis Tutorial —but in this tutorial we are going to focus on how the specific syntax of poetry, which we call poetic devices, differs from prose and how poets use these poetic devices to establish tone and reveal theme. 

We break poetic devices into three categories based on the repetition of sounds.  The first category identifies the repetition of specific letter-sounds, which takes the form of alliteration, consonance, and assonance.  The second category concentrates on the repetition of syllables, which involves a poem's rhyme, rhythm, and meter.  The third category focuses on the repetition of words or phrases, which we call parallel structure:

I.  Alliteration/Consonance/Assonance

Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words whereas consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds within words.  Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds.   Poets use repeated sounds not just because they are pleasing to the ear , but also to emphasize certain words  and create connections between words.

Let's look at the opening stanza of Hayden's poem:

Sundays too my father got up early

and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,

then with cracked hands that ached

from labor in the weekday weather made

banked fires blaze.  No one ever thanked him.

When introducing poetic devices, we first ask students to find as many repetitions of consonant and vowel sounds as possible within an opening stanza.  For Hayden's poem, students usually notice the repetition of the hard "k" sound that comes at the beginning of words like " cl othes," " c old," and " cr acked"; in the middle of words like "cra ck ed," "a ch ed," "wee k day," "ba nk ed," and "tha nk ed"; and at the end of words like "bluebla ck ."

When we ask students to describe the tone, or feeling, associated with that particular sound, students often say it is harsh and abrupt.  The next question is why Hayden would want to repeat that particular sound in his opening stanza, and how that sound might reflect the feelings that the speaker has internalized when remembering his father and his childhood home.  

Despite the coldness of the relationship he had with his father, it is clear that the speaker's feelings have changed now that he is older.  The adult speaker seems to recognize and appreciate the fact that his father "got up early" during the week, most likely to go to a blue-collar job that produced "cracked hands that ached."  Not only does Hayden alliterate the " w eekday w eather" to emphasize the harsh conditions that his father endured during the week to provide for his family, but he also alliterates the " bl ue bl ack cold" when the speaker's father "made /  b anked fires bl aze" to show how the father also provided comfort for his family in the early morning darkness before any of them had gotten out of bed.

When Hayden stops the opening thought with a caesura in the middle of the fifth line, he uses the period to interrupt the flow of the line to set us up for the devastating final words of the stanza:  "No one ever thanked him."  When reading those words, we sense the guilt and regret the speaker has for failing to appreciate his father when he was a child.

Hayden's use of assonance is also interesting to analyze in the first stanza, specifically with the juxtaposition of long and short "a" sounds.  The long "a" sounds connect the hands that " a ched / from l a bor in the weekd a y weather m a de / banked fires bl a ze."  Those same hands that "ached" from long hours of manual labor outside the home were the same hands that "made" the fires inside the home —on "Sund a ys too"— to provide comfort and warmth for his family.

One could argue that the length of those drawn out "a" sounds  reflects the long thankless days that the father spent providing for his family with no apparent acknowledgment or appreciation of his sacrifice.  Is there bitterness inside the father?  Perhaps those harsh "k" sounds combined with the short "a" sounds in "bluebl a ck," "cr a cked," "b a nked," and "th a nked" reflect not just the speaker's fear of his father as a child, but also the resentment that the speaker imagines the father must have had towards his ungrateful family.

We emphasize with students that any literary interpretation—but especially with an analysis of the subtleties of syntax or poetic devices—is subject to debate.  The role of a literary critic is not necessarily to be "correct," but to make interesting observations based on evidence from the text to make the reader think differently or more deeply about the work.  Some interpretations are more convincing than others based on the evidence to support the claims, and others are more compelling based on the insight and depth of the analysis. 

Our advice to students is to think deeply about the literary work and make as interesting an argument as possible based on the evidence from the text.  An essay does not necessarily have to convince the reader that a certain interpretation is "right," but it should always aspire to be thought-provoking and make the reader think about the work in a new way.

II.  Rhyme/Rhythm/Meter

When we introduce the concept of rhyme, we differentiate between "end rhymes" and "internal rhymes."  When end rhymes create a consistent pattern, we call that a "rhyme scheme" and use letters, such as ABAB,  to represent the repeating pattern.  For Hayden's poem, however, there are no end rhymes, which means there is no rhyme scheme.  The first question that students should ask is why Hayden would choose to write his poem in free verse rather than with a set rhyme scheme.

Just because there are no end rhymes does not mean, however, that there are no internal rhymes.  In the first stanza, we see "blue black " and " cracked " on successive lines and " banked " and " thanked " in the same line.  These internal rhymes are not only aesthetically pleasing to the ear, but they also link those words thematically.  It is up to the reader to make a connection as to why the poet would want to pair those two words.

In the first pairing, the "blue black cold" represents the harsh conditions that the father has to face everyday — "Sundays too"—to provide and care for his family.  His perpetual sacrifice is represented by the " cracked hands that ached," but it seems that the "aching" of his hands does not just reflect a physical hardship; instead, it seems to also imply an internal suffering, one that the speaker is unable to recognize as a child but acknowledges and takes some responsibility for as an adult.  Similarly, the " banked fires" that the father made "blaze" every morning go unacknowledged by his family; despite the fact that he should have been " thanked " for the sacrifices he made, no one ever did.

In the second stanza, Hayden also uses internal rhymes effectively:

I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.

When the rooms were warm, he'd call,

and slowly I would rise and dress,

fearing the chronic angers of that house,

The first line connects " wake " with the first syllable in " break ing," showing how the father regularly gets up in the early morning to make the house warm for his family by "breaking" the cold.  The tone of the stanza, however, is not one of familial love and warmth.  The present participles at the end of the first line connect with the present participle in the fourth line to create a series of internal rhymes by repeating the "-ing" syllable on "splinter ing ," break ing ," and "fear ing ."  Despite the speaker's understanding at an intellectual level that the father's efforts are "splintering" and "breaking" the cold, they are sublimated by his simultaneously "fearing the chronic angers of that house."  Instead of feeling gratitude for his father's efforts, the speaker only has dread and fear, fully aware that his father's temper is always in threat of "splintering" and "breaking" the peace and tranquility of the house.

When determining rhythm, we have to look at the punctuation and the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables (i.e. meter) in a line or stanza.  In looking at the punctuation in the second stanza, the first thing we notice is the proliferation of commas.  The comma at the end of the first line creates an asyndeton that takes the place of an "and" that could have easily separated the two present participles in a smoother, more rhythmic way.  Instead, Hayden uses the comma to create a jarring transition between the two participles that abruptly concludes with the period at the end of the line.

One could argue that the punctuation aptly reflects the harsh, abrupt tone that we saw in the consonance of the repeated "k" sounds in the first stanza, which continues in the second stanza with " c old," "brea k ing," " c all," and " chr oni c ."  The commas at the end of each successive line in the second stanza slows the pace and makes us consider each line carefully.  The commas never complete the thought, however, so we carry the tension from one line to the next —and even into the next stanza—understanding implicitly that the "chronic angers of that house" remain unresolved and simmering beneath the surface, which breaks any sense of harmony in the house or rhythm in the poem.

The disruptive punctuation is complemented by the absence of a set meter.   To determine meter, we have to recognize which syllables are stressed and which are not.  The easiest way to do that is to look at the multi-syllable words first to determine where the natural accents lie.  For instance, the word "splintering" in the first line of the second stanza has three syllables, but only one contains the natural accent, which is the first; the final two syllables are unstressed.  Likewise, in "breaking" the first syllable is stressed and the second is not.   In fact, all of the multi-syllable words in the second stanza have the first syllable stressed:

After we find the natural accents, we then look at the single-syllable words, where there is ample room for interpretation.  In general, primary words — like nouns and verbs — are usually stressed whereas secondary words — like articles and prepositions — are not.   This is a guideline but not a rule, however.  When words are stressed, they are emphasized; sometimes it makes sense, based on the context of the line, to stress an adjective, for instance, rather than the noun.  Similarly, stressed and unstressed syllables usually alternate in poetry to create a natural rhythm, but poets will intentionally disrupt the rhythm to call attention to specific words. 

Here is a possible scan of the second stanza in Hayden's poem:

The first line starts off with a series of three rhythmic iambs (two-syllable combinations of unaccented syllables followed by accented syllables) before the pattern is broken with the words "splintering, breaking" at the end of the line.  By analyzing the meter, we can assume that soon after waking—even on Sundays with a fire warming the house—the speaker still feels a sense of tension and unease.  What is interesting is Hayden's decision to end the line with a weak, unaccented syllable, which one could argue conveys a sense of weary resignation, as if the speaker can never escape the constant "splintering, breaking" tension that permeates the house.  

The first syllable of the second line, "When," could certainly be accented, but leaving it unaccented allows that feeling of helplessness to carry over from the previous line and build into another series of rhythmic iambs that runs through the next two lines until it is disrupted once again by a present participle, this time "Fearing," which starts the fourth line and connects to the "splintering, breaking" of the first line.  This rhythmic pattern—and its disruption—repeats itself as if to imply that any sense of harmony within the house cannot remain for long. 

The preposition "of" in the final line of the stanza could also be unstressed, but choosing to accent the preposition creates another series of four straight iambs that is broken once again by a present participle, this time the "Speaking" at the beginning of the final stanza.  What is interesting is that the father is responsible for the "splintering, breaking" of the rhythm in the second stanza, but it is the speaker who is responsible for breaking the rhythm in the final stanza by "Speaking indifferently" to his father, which seems to imply that they both share responsibility for the psychic tension and "chronic angers of that house."  

III.  Parallel Structure

Parallel structure is the repetition of words or phrases within the lines of a poem.  We have already seen how Hayden uses parallel structure in repeating the use of present participles to break the rhythm of the lines in the second stanza and at the beginning of the third.  We also see a key repetition in the penultimate line that, one could argue, unlocks the thematic meaning of the entire poem:

Speaking indifferently to him,

who had driven out the cold

and polished my good shoes as well.

What did I know, what did I know

of love's austere and lonely offices?

By repeating "'What did I know, what did I know" the speaker acknowledges his own ignorance as a child of the love and sacrifice that his father demonstrated through his daily actions.  The repetition also implies a sense of guilt and regret that he was unable to understand or appreciate his father when he was younger.  What is obvious is that the speaker has matured over the years —perhaps now having children of his own—and sees his father in a new, more compassionate light.  

To help students identify poetic devices and become more comfortable with the analytical process, we provide five study guide questions on the back of the AP prompt that students should try to answer on their own.  When students return to class, we answer any questions they may have and share our different interpretations of the poem as a whole class.

After we have explicated the poem and answered questions from the study guide, students prepare to write their AP Poetry Analysis essay.  Similar to the other AP essays, we encourage students to use  Hegel's Dialectic to organize their thoughts and outline their arguments:

The AP Poetry Analysis prompt for Hayden's poem asks students to consider how the speaker has "re-assessed" the "strained" relationship he had with his father in childhood.  One possible way to organize the argument would be to have the thesis, or initial claim (i.e. first body paragraph), focus on the "strained" relationship in the speaker's childhood.  The antithesis, or counter-claim (i.e. second body paragraph), could then focus on the speaker's re-assessment of that relationship once he becomes an adult.  The synthesis (i.e. third body paragraph) would focus on what the speaker has learned from the experience, which would also reflect Hayden's overall theme (i.e. "the meaning of the work as a whole").

If this were the first assignment of the year, we would provide a model for what a quality AP Poetry Analysis essay using Hegel's Dialectic might look like: 

When using Hegel's Dialectic for an AP Poetry Analysis essay, it is sometimes helpful to think of the thesis/antithesis/synthesis model in terms of tone and theme instead.  Students should look for competing, yet complementary, tones in the poem, which would then be the focus of their first two body paragraphs.  Students would then resolve the tension between those competing tones by revealing overall theme in the concluding third body paragraph.

Once students have completed the Journal Discussion and written the AP Poetry Analysis essay, they are now ready to begin the novel or play with a solid introduction to the major themes of the work.  Moreover, they will be able to compare and contrast how the author or playwright addresses the Essential Questions with the poet and and the author/speaker of the quotation.  Ultimately, students will have to answer those Essential Questions for themselves, but they now have three different guides to help them along the way.

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Poetry & Poets

Explore the beauty of poetry – discover the poet within

What Is A Poetry Analysis Essay

Overview of a Poetry Analysis Essay

A poetry analysis essay is a type of academic paper that requires a student to dissect, analyze and evaluate a poem. It may also involve a discussion of the poem’s structure, themes, and other more specific aspects. A poetry analysis essay should provide an in-depth evaluation of a poem’s meaning while also offering insights into its form, style and language. The purpose of this type of essay is to demonstrate that the student fully understands the poem and can effectively analyze the poem.

When writing a poetry analysis essay, it is important to use active and appropriate language. Students should employ figurative language and emotion to create a vivid and engaging experience for their reader. Additionally, the language of the essay should demonstrate the student’s level of understanding of the poem. By using appropriate language, the student should be able to explain the poem in a clear and concise fashion.

In addition to analyzing the poem, it is also important to provide the reader with an understanding of the poem’s context. This includes providing background information on the author and their life, discussing the poem’s published or performance history and providing any other relevant information. By providing this contextual information, the student is able to provide a comprehensive understanding of the poem.

When analyzing the poem, students should focus on both the larger context of the poem as well as the smaller context of individual lines or stanzas. Additionally, it is important to pay attention to the poem’s structure, its use of literary devices such as figurative language, and tone. It may also be beneficial to provide examples of how the poem has been interpreted by other scholars in the field of literary analysis. By looking at both broader and more specific aspects of the poem, the student is able to provide an accurate and well-rounded analysis of the poem.

Structure of a Poetry Analysis Essay

When writing a poem analysis essay, students must follow specific guidelines in order to complete the assignment. The structure of a poem analysis essay consists of an introduction, two or three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. In the introduction students should include basic information about the poem, such as its title, author, and publication date. Additionally, students should provide a brief synopsis of the poem. In the body paragraphs, the student should introduce their analysis of the poem and provide concrete examples from the text to support their argument.

When analyzing the poem, it is important to provide a detailed explanation of the structure and syntax of the poem. Additionally, students should focus on the poetic devices used by the poet, such as metaphors, similes, symbols, and alliteration. By looking at both the overarching structure of the poem and the smaller details of individual lines, the student is able to provide a comprehensive analysis of the poem.

In the conclusion of the poem analysis essay, students should provide a summary of the poem and their analysis. The conclusion should reinforce the student’s understanding of the poem and emphasize the importance of the poem. Additionally, the student should reiterate their argument and provide evidence from the poem to support their claim.

Writing a Poetry Analysis Essay

Writing a poetry analysis essay can be a daunting task for students who are unfamiliar with the poem. The key to writing a successful essay is to provide an in-depth analysis of the poem. This includes providing a detailed evaluation of the poem’s structure, language, and thematic elements. Additionally, it is important to consider the poem’s context, focusing on its publication or performance date, author’s life, and overall reception.

When starting the essay, it is important to remember to use active voice and provide detailed explanations of the poem’s features. Additionally, it is important to use figurative language and other literary devices to create a vivid and engaging experience for the reader. It may also be beneficial to incorporate other scholars’ interpretations of the poem in order to provide the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the poem.

Researching a Poetry Analysis Essay

When researching a poem for a poetry analysis essay, students must focus on both historic and contemporary sources. Historic sources provide an insight into the poem’s context, including biographical information about the author, publication or performance history, and analysis from past and current scholars. Contemporary sources can provide additional analysis from other scholars in the field, as well as additional evidence to support the student’s argument. Additionally, by reading other interpretations of the poem, the student can gain a better understanding of the poem.

When researching the poem, it is important to use reliable sources such as scholarly publications or online databases. Additionally, students should verify their sources and make sure that the information is current and accurate. By doing thorough research, students are able to provide a comprehensive analysis of the poem.

Conclusion of a Poetry Analysis Essay

The conclusion of a poetry analysis essay should, first and foremost, provide a brief overview of the analysis provided in the essay. Additionally, the conclusion should underscore the importance of the poem’s analysis and provide the reader with an understanding of the broader implications of the poem’s analysis. Finally, the conclusion should reiterate the student’s understanding of the poem and provide a clear and concise explanation of the poem’s meaning.

Using Citations in a Poetry Analysis Essay

When writing a poetry analysis essay, it is important to provide evidence to support the student’s argument. This evidence should come from both the poem itself and other sources. To provide evidence, it is important to use citations. Citations should follow the style guidelines of the chosen citation format, such as MLA or APA. Additionally, citations should accurately reflect the source and provide the reader with the necessary information to locate the source.

When citing evidence from the poem itself, students should use line numbers to direct the reader to the specific part of the poem. Additionally, when citing evidence from other sources, students should provide a complete citation for the source. By doing so, the student is able to provide the reader with an accurate representation of the source.

Advanced Strategies for Writing a Poetry Analysis Essay

To write an effective poem analysis essay, students should employ advanced language and emotion. Writers should use powerful adjectives and active voice to engage the reader and create a vivid experience. Additionally, the language used should be both concise and comprehensive, providing an accurate understanding of the poem. By using vivid language and creative metaphors, the student can create an engaging experience for their reader.

Poetry analysis essays should also employ rhetorical devices such as rhetorical questions, irony, and paradox. By using these devices, the student can create an emotional connection with the reader and emphasize the poem’s meaning. Additionally, the student can use irony to create a sense of humor or emphasize a point. By using rhetorical devices, the student can elevate their writing and create a compelling argument for their reader.

Finally, by making use of hyperbole and exaggeration, the student can create an exaggerated version of the poem’s analysis. By doing so, the student can emphasize the importance of their argument and create a vivid experience for the reader. By making use of advanced rhetorical and stylistic devices, the student can create a unique and powerful poem analysis essay.

Dannah Hannah is an established poet and author who loves to write about the beauty and power of poetry. She has published several collections of her own works, as well as articles and reviews on poets she admires. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a specialization in poetics, from the University of Toronto. Hannah was also a panelist for the 2017 Futurepoem book Poetry + Social Justice, which aimed to bring attention to activism through poetry. She lives in Toronto, Canada, where she continues to write and explore the depths of poetry and its influence on our lives.

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How To Write A Poetry Analysis Essay

Sourav Mahahjan

Poetry analysis involves breaking down the components and features of a poem and examining them in-depth individually to achieve a comprehensive analysis of a poem. It is similar to poetry review in the sense that it requires personal opinions of the essayist. However, poetry analysis is much more objective and deep. Tensed? Don’t worry, in this blog we have got for you a complete guide about how to write a poetry essay including poetry analysis structure, process, element, tips and tricks.

What is a Poetry Analysis in simple words?

A poetry analysis is a detailed examination of a poem including its theme, rhythm, language, structure and context. It entails going beyond the said words to find out what the author truly means by reading between the lines. E.g. When Robert Frost writes “(I have) miles to go before I sleep”; sleep does not mean literal napping, it refers to death. Similarly, many times poets might mean more than one thing through figurative language. Poetry analysis involves highlighting all the meanings the lines convey. It should be able to assess the style of the write-up. Read a poem analysis example to get a better idea of the term.

What are the elements that make up a poetry analysis?

A good analysis consists of diverse aspects of a poem concerning both formal and content-related elements. It brings to fore any unique ideas or aesthetics employed in the poem. The following are the basic elements that will guide you about how to analyse poetry:

Generally, after the introductory paragraph, the analyst summarizes the poem line by line. Summary is nothing but the overview of the poem. It simplifies the content of the poem in the prose form.

Every poem is based on a theme. Theme is the general thought behind the poem. A poetry analysis does not merely state the theme but also ponders upon how the author has brought out the theme in the poem.

3. Structure

It refers to the composition of the poem. A poem might consist of stanzas of equal or unequal lengths or be in free verse. It is important to determine why the author has chosen the particular format and how it affects the content of the poem.

4. Figures of speech

Metaphor, simile, climax, antitheses, repetition, etc. are the figures of speech employed in poems for different effects. Marking out those poetic devices and assessing their impact makes a crucial part of poetry analysis.

Each poem has a background to it. When William Wordsworth wrote ‘Daffodils’ he was reacting to the disasters created by the industrial revolution. To study the context of the poem, one should situate the poem in its social, political and cultural context.

6. Rhyme and Meter

Rhythmic qualities make a poem different from a prose. Poetry has a certain rhyme scheme that is generated through the use of rhyming words. A poem in blank verse does not follow a rhyme scheme but still inherits a metrical pattern. Meter is discovered through the analysis of the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. For e.g. Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ is entirely composed in iambic pentameter. Free verse poems are devoid of both rhyme and meter.

7. Language

Identifying the language of the poem is key to poetry analysis. A poet might use straightforward or figurative language to make his/her point. Also, the language can be subtle or bold.

8. Tone and Mood

Tone is the emotion poured by the writer in the poem, while mood is the resulting emotion the piece arouses in the reader. Some examples of tone and mood can be happy, sad, melancholy, inspirational, etc.

9. Personal take

Finally, a successful analysis comprises personal views of the analyst. While examining the poem, the writer can jot his/her comments on the style of the writer and comment on the strengths and limitations of the work.

A sound analysis of a poem includes all these aspects but is definitely not limited to them. Some other factors like a poet's background, ideology, etc can greatly affect some poems. Also, the individual composing the analysis should be careful about the amount of weightage given to the elements. Consistency should be maintained along with highlighting the unique aspects.

If you are feeling it burdensome to analyse a poetry in such great detail or finding it tough and tiring, you can reach out to the expert writers at The Assignment Ninjas for help. Our subject-professionals will take care of your assignment and compose a high-scoring paper for you.

Structure of a poem analysis:

A poetry analysis essay follows a typical three-part structure: Introduction, Body and conclusion. We’ll now take you through a step-by-step guide on how to write a poetry analysis.

Introduction:

Introductory paragraph outlines which poem you have chosen for analysis. It will mention basic details like the name of the poem, author, time of publishing and any other interesting facts about it. It will also incorporate a brief background of the work and a line or two on its theme.

Body Paragraphs:

The entire analysis and reviews will go in the body paragraphs. Body usually begins with the summary of the poem and then goes into other details. Any important secondary critique and personal opinions can also be included here. However, utmost care should be taken to maintain objectivity.

It is a wise practice to begin body paragraphs with a topic sentence and end with a transition sentence. Topic sentence tells what the paragraph is about and a transition sentence hints at what will be coming in the next paragraph. It ensures smooth flow and promotes readability.

Conclusion:

The concluding paragraph combines all the analysed elements into a whole and comments on the main idea of the poem. Nothing new should be stated here. It offers a recap of the study and reiterates the main points. The value and quality of the wok can be measured in this last part.

Steps to write a poetry analysis essay:

So how to write an essay about poetry? That is the question. Directly picking up a pen or hitting the keys on the keyboard will leave you puzzled and disgusted. It is wiser to follow a proper process to articulate a good analysis in a hassle-free way. Here’s how you can do it.

1. Carefully select a poem

If the choice of poem is left up to you, select a poem you have previously studied. Ensure that it has enough substance to analyse. You can shortlist a few good poems and then make your final decision.

2. Read it multiple times

Read the poem line by line and word by word. Read it aloud to get an idea about the subject, language, rhyme and meter. It is better to go though poem analysis examples to understand the requirements and organization of this type of essay.

3. Take primary and secondary notes

Jot down your primary understanding of the elements of the poem mentioned above. Underline any significant or unique characteristics of the poem. Go beyond the primary text and read some secondary research materials on it. It will broaden your perspective and enhance the quality of your essay.

4. Draft an outline

Make a rough outline of your composition. Determine what all will go in the introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion. Finalize the sequence of your analysis. Having a rough skeleton greatly helps during the writing process.

5. Write the essay

Now begin writing the actual essay. Use clear and understandable language. Include all the necessary elements along with your personal views. Avoid unnecessary repetition. Try to infuse novelty in your write-up.

6. Edit and Proofread

After finishing, reread the entire piece. Find out if any point is overemphasized or something is left out. Reconsider the word choice to convey your points rightly. Proofread for grammatical errors and punctuation. These small steps can highly influence your marks.

Analysing poetry helps to get a comprehensive understanding of the work. It develops critical thinking abilities and opens up new horizons of research. Make sure to assess each aspect of the poem and combine them to present the central idea. Follow the correct format. Refer to additional tactics and procedures mentioned above to compose a winning essay.

If you feel stuck at any point of time or find it difficult to articulate a good essay in limited time, you can always ask The Assignment Ninjas for help. Our experts will write a high quality analysis according to your guidelines in a short time clearing your way to score outstanding grades!

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• Prof. Mary Fuller

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• American Literature

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Reading poetry, poetry analysis ii.

Shakespeare, William. “ Sonnet 18 ”, “ Sonnet 60 ”, “ Sonnet 65 .” Poetry Foundation.

Spenser, Edmund. “ Amoretti LXXV ”, “ Amoretti LXXXI .” Poetry Foundation.

Sidney, Philip. “ Astrophil and Stella 1 ”, “ Astrophil and Stella 31 .” Poetry Foundation.

Larkin, Philip. “ Sad Steps .” In Collected Poems . Farrar, Straus and Grioux, 2004. ISBN: 9780374529208.

Brooks, Gwendolyn. “ my dreams, my works, must wait till after hell .” In Selected Poems . Harper & Row, 1963. ISBN: 9780060909895.

Brooks, Gwendolyn. “ the rites for Cousin Vit .” In The Norton Anthology of Poetry Fifth Edition . W.W. Norton and Company, 2005. ISBN: 9780393979206.

Johnson, James. “ Lift Every Voice and Sing .” In Complete Poems . Penguin Classics, 2000. ISBN: 9780374518172.

Bishop, Elizabeth. “ One Art .” In The Complete Poems 1926-1979 . Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1983. ISBN: 9780374518172.

Collins, Martha. “ The Story We Know .”  Poetry . December, 1980.

Hayes, Terence. “ The Golden Shovel .” In Lighthead . Penguin Books, 2010. ISBN: 9780143116967.

Things to mark up/questions to ask when you read a poem (a running list):

This is an expansion of the questions in the first poetry analysis.

• Are there repetitions, exact (“cold dark deep and absolutely clear”) or with variation (“the squat pen rests [, snug as a gun.][. I’ll dig with it]”)? Pay attention to them!
• What controls or motivates the end of a line?
• If the lines aren’t all the same number of syllables (aka, in a regular meter), does variation in line length correlate to anything in the poem?
• If there is (as in Moore, “The Fish,” e.g.), how do topics (and sometimes sentences) get distributed in and across stanzas?
• If yes, are there places of important variation in pattern or emphasis?
• Think also about repeated patterns of syntax as contributing to rhythm (e.g., 3x “Adjective was the noun I verbed,” in Dunbar), and notice where these patterns of syntax change (as in the last line of that poem).
• Are there places that stand out as different, as in, the only end-stopped line or enjambment or caesuras?
• Or does the general “habit” of the poem (e.g., to end each line with punctuation) change at some point?
• Does the verb tense or mood shift (e.g. from past to present, from declarative—“I saw”—to conditional—“I would have seen”)?
• Where: “offstage”, near/far in Frost.
• When: remembered past, Yeats; past + ongoing present, Whitman.
• Who is speaking and being spoken to or about? Pronouns: I, we, they, you (who?), one (so formal and impersonal!).
• Are there key terms (“home”) being evaluated and/or vocabularies of words grouped under related concepts (worth and value)?

Questions to ask about a poem: if they seem boring/trivial OR too hard/confusing to answer, they might not be the most revealing questions about a given poem. But all are worth trying!

Punctuation Examples

[1] Cold dark deep and absolutely clear,

[2] element bearable to no mortal,

[3] to fish and to seals . . . One seal particularly

[4] I have seen here evening after evening.

Lines 1, 2, and 4 are end-stopped : they conclude with punctuation. Line 3 has a midline pause (any kind of punctuation): that’s a caesura . The sentence that begins after “…” continues across the line ending with no pause: that’s enjambment .

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Writing Guidelines for Poetry Analysis Essay

by admin | Jan 10, 2023 | Blog | 0 comments

Poetry is the meter- and verse-based rhythmic flow of feelings. Poetry has been around for thousands of years and is still the most common form of conveying thoughts, emotions, and producing pictures. It has served as a means of expressing love for a close friend, taking in the wonders of nature, or exchanging viewpoints on society’s various facets. Poetry is a vital component of art and society today. Poetry is an enduring type of literary art that has been read and recited for countless generations, from the sonnets of Shakespeare to T.S. Eliot’s meditation on the state of humanity.

Poetry analysis is a significant and important undertaking that demands meticulous analysis. Even the simplest poetry are composed of numerous components. Some are bound by metre, the rhythmic emphasis on a line, while others are constructed with rhythmic lines. Overall, poetry analysis necessitates close examination of the rhythm pattern, the imagery depicted, mimesis, onomatopoeia, and all other literary strategies used to create the distinct flavour of a poem.

Literature students often are assigned with poetry analysis essay assignment . They face a lot of problems, especially the beginners. So, we help them with the best assignment service to

Poetry Analysis Essay: Guidelines, Procedure, and Format

Poems have a magnificent aspect that is attractive to the ear, from rhythmic rhymes to flowing phrases. To fully comprehend a poem, however, we must analyse it and comprehend the fundamental components.

The key to writing a flawless poetry analysis essay as an academic writing , which involves careful thought, is adhering to the guidelines. A standard article has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Without further ado, let’s examine the subtleties of writing a fantastic poetry analysis essay.

101 Poetry Analysis

To comprehend the subject inside the form, it is important to carefully consider each of the different separate components that make up a poem.

We begin by dissecting the poem into its component parts in order to examine its form, structure, language, metrical pattern, and overarching topic. Only then will we be able to comprehend and value the information more fully.

The Following Are Five Important Elements to Take into Account When Examining Poetry

Theme : The central concept or setting that characterises a poem is known as its topic. The core idea or topic that the verses discuss needs to be thoroughly grasped.

A poem’s language, from its vocabulary to its imagery, establishes the poem’s mood and tone.Language influences the poem’s rhythm and contributes to the ideas and emotions being expressed.

Sound and Rhythm :

The syllable patterns and stresses on specific portions give the poem its metrical structure.

Poetic form :

A poem’s structure affects how it should be read. Typically, a poet utilises stanzas, line breaks, rhyme schemes, punctuation, and pauses to shape the story and communicate ideas.

A poem’s context provides information about its subject, including who, what, where, when, and why.

To uncover and thoroughly comprehend all these complexities, a unique road plan is required. So, let’s examine those instructions and advice in more detail.

How To Write A Great Poetry Analysis Essay: Steps & Advice

Similar to analytical essay paper , poetry analysis essays require writers to analyse every aspect of a poem, including its artistic, functional, and structural elements. Here are some excellent suggestions for outstanding poetry analysis. Our expert assignment help advises steps given below.

Start by reading aloud

At least twice, thoroughly read the poem. First, read it aloud as it should be read and carefully listen to it. While reading aloud, pay attention to the structural, functional, and rhythmic components. After then, read it slowly and take in all the details and characteristics that give the text its own identity.

Reading a poem aloud will help you understand its rhythmic rhythms. When reading aloud, one can hear how the rhythm and flow are shaped by the words, syllables, and other key components. If at all possible, record the reading of the poems and pay close attention to it. Pay close attention to how the words flow inside the rhythm, between lines, throughout breaks, and in areas of stress.

Examine the title as well and determine how it relates to the main point.

The rhyme scheme, if any, on a map

It doesn’t take long to discern whether a poem uses free verse, that is, without any rhythmic features or regular metre, or if it follows a rhythmic scheme.

If a poem has a rhythmic pattern, identify it by allocating a letter to each line with the same rhythm. Then, read it aloud repeatedly or pay close attention to performances to spot the rhythmic patterns. Make a note of any unique design or formal rhyme scheme, such as a ballade, an alternate rhyme, a linked rhyme, a monorhyme, a triplet, etc.

Scan Metrics for the Poem

The technique of scanning and studying a poem’s metre is called scansion. The arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables on each line makes up a poem’s metre. Scanning metrics for the poem is a great Essay help for the writer to progress. Each stressed syllable that is joined by at least one unstressed syllable should be marked. Next, note the distribution of stresses along a line and determine the metre using your findings.

Disassemble the entire structure

Next, examine the poem’s formal structure as it is written. Take note of the design elements in the poem, such as the white spaces around the words. Examine each structure in the content to see if it supports the ideas and concepts it is intended to express. For instance, does the end of a line denote the conclusion of a concept or is enjambment used? Are all of the verses consistent with the overall metre and tone of the poem?

Make a note of everything like that because it will be the focus of your essay.

Establish the form of the poem and examine its language

Poets consciously use a range of language, literary techniques, and certain aspects to create tempo, establish rhythm, and express various ideas. Determine the poem’s form by identifying all relevant poetic devices and literary intricacies. For instance, a sonnet is a poetry that is composed of three stanzas of four lines each, followed by a couplet. There are other further formal forms of poetry, each with unique characteristics.

Look at each word in a single line. Take note if the line has any special meaning in relation to the poem’s broader theme or plot. Observe how the poet manipulates the language to shape the poem by incorporating metaphors, similes, alliteration, assonance, and other figurative languages.

Read the material thoroughly

Study the poem carefully and pay close attention to the message it conveys. Look at the information and the point it tries to make. To comprehend the poem’s historical context, identify the theme and find out when it was written. Learn the author’s history and the location where it was written. Such details will help you fully understand and appreciate the poetry.

All this material must be presented in your poetry analysis essay in precise detail.

Identify the protagonist of the poem

Determine the identity of the poem’s speaker. The poem’s narration style—first, second, or third person—is it? What kind of voice does the narrator use to communicate information? The analysis of the poetry will be aided by recognising these elements.

The Complete Thing, Line By Line

The poem should now be paraphrased line by line. Transform each line starting at the beginning. Writing down a summary of the poetry while giving it the appropriate interpretation is known as paraphrasing. Once finished, read the entire paraphrase to fully grasp the poem’s meaning.

Your poetry analysis essay will be based on the paraphrase and analysis. But first, let’s take a look at the general format for a poetry analysis essay before we wrap up this subject.

Learning is not attained by chance; it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.

An example of a poetry analysis essay

The general structure or outline for a poetry analysis essay is provided below. The outcomes of your analysis must all be presented coherently in the essay formats listed below.

• The poem’s author and title.
• Formal and stylistic elements, such as literary devices and figurative language; romanticism, realism, symbolism, etc.
• Type: sonnet, epitaph, epigram, etc.
• The poem’s creative history, including when it was composed, why, and who it was intended for. Mention how significant this particular poem was to the poet’s life and work.
• Background, subject, or main idea.
• Character or Primary Subject Description.
• The poet’s vocabulary, including journalistic, literary, aristocratic, neutral, and informal terms.
• The work’s structure. Examine each stanza’s micro-theme and how it relates to the overall composition. Highlight the poem’s key themes, demonstrate how they link, and decide how the poem makes you feel;
• Your Points of View

Essays about poetry should be able to analyse poems precisely. The presentation of all the facts in an essay should be interesting and clear at the same time. The poetry and the entire text should be readable side by side and easily understood by the reader.

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How to write a poem analysis essay fast.

April 26, 2021

However, don’t worry too much. We will show you how to write poem analysis essay quickly and do a great job. We will show you how to pick a good topic (topics will be provided as example) and how to start the paper. A quick guide will be provided to make things easier. We will also show you how to quote and cite in your poetry analysis essay assignment. Learning how to write an essay on a poem analysis requires that you learn how to properly quote and cite. Let’s begin!

But What Is a Poem Analysis Essay?

Before you learn how to start a poem analysis essay, you should make sure you understand the purpose of this paper. So, what is a poetry analysis essay?

Basically, the main goal of this academic paper is to review all – or just some specific – functional, structural and artistic parts of a poem. Reviewing a poem is usually done as part of an analytical paper. Most often, writing a poetry analysis essay requires you to perform an in-depth stylistic analysis and character analysis of the poem.

If you want write poetry analysis essay papers, you are strongly advised to start them with an outline. Why? Because a poetry analysis essay outline will keep you on track. You will not stray from the subject and topic. You will not forget important talking points. Basically, the outline will act as the backbone of your essay. It looks like a table of contents and contains all the most important ideas you’ve uncovered while doing the research. Yes, the outline should be created while you do the research for the poetry essay.

Poetry Essay Topics

The importance of topics cannot be understated. Learning how to write a poem analysis essay means learning how to pick the right topic for the job. The perfect topic is complex enough to warrant at least 500 words. It is not too narrow, but not too general either. Ideally, you should be able to find plenty of information about the topic online. Also, it is very important for the topic to be unique and interesting. The last thing you want to do is write an essay on a topic that has already been chosen by one of your classmates. We know, finding a great topic can be difficult. This is why we have a list of ideas for you right here (you can use them freely):

• Explore the battle within oneself theme in a specific poem
• Using places to represent an idea in a poem
• Explore the use of allusions in a poem
• Analyze The Flowers of Evil by Baudelaire
• Analyze a piece of prose poetry
• Analyze a piece of Jazz poetry
• Discuss assonance in a poem of your choice
• Analyze the use of consonance
• Study the use of rhymes in a poem
• The use of simile in modern poetry
• Onomatopoeia in a poem of your choice
• Analyze all uses of alliteration in a specific poem

Where Can You Find Great Poem Analysis Essay Examples?

Whether you need to write a rhetorical analysis essay on a poem or a poetry explication essay, you will need a good example. Even though you now know how to start the project, you probably don’t know how the end result should look like. This is why you need a few excellent poem analysis essay examples. Truth be told, the Internet is full of poorly written samples. Don’t make the mistake of using any of them. Instead, get in touch with us and request an example from our experienced academic writers. Our samples are 100 percent original, written for you.

Once you’ve read a good example, it’s time to learn the ways to analyze poetry on an essay. Of course, you can’t just copy and paste a poem entirely in your paper. You can, however, quote certain parts of the poem. By quoting, you are allowed to use parts of the poem in your academic paper. One thing to keep in mind is that every time you quote a part of a literary work, you need to cite it. This is done in the Works Cited list or the References section, depending on which format you are using. To learn how to analyze a poem in an essay, you must first learn how to quote and cite correctly. Failure to do so will lead to severe penalties.

How to Write a Poetry Analysis Essay Easily

Don’t forget: always start with a poem analysis essay outline. You now know how to pick a topic, where to get some examples, and how to properly quote, cite and reference a literary work in your paper. It’s time to see the main poetry analysis essay steps you need to take to write the paper. Think of the following steps as a poetry analysis essay template. You will be able to use these steps in all your future paper, of course. So, if you are looking to learn how to write a poetry analysis essay, here is what you need to do:

• Write the introduction . If you don’t know how to write a poem analysis essay introduction, you can learn everything about it on our blog. Basically, the introduction will present your thesis statement (what you want to achieve or demonstrate in your paper), as well as some background information about the topic.
• Write three (or more) body paragraphs . Each paragraph should discuss a single important idea. This idea should be stated at the start of the paragraph. The rest of each paragraph will be used to support the main idea, of course. Use quotes whenever necessary, as we’ve shown you above.
• Write the conclusion . This is the part where you will restate the thesis statement and then summarize all the most important ideas. Make it clear that the body of the essay has adequately supported the thesis. If necessary, you can end the conclusion with a strong call to action.
• Edit your work , cutting out any unnecessary parts. Make sure your writing flows well and don’t forget to transition smoothly from one section to the next.
• Proofread the paper at least twice to make sure you catch all typos or other errors.

Quoting and Citing Poems Correctly

Quoting and citing are different from style to style. In this blog post, we will analyze the correct way to quote and cite in APA style and MLA style. Don’t worry, it is not as difficult as you think. Let’s start with quoting in MLA style.

To quote a part of the poem in MLA, you will use this format: “quote” (source). Here are 3 examples:

• “And went on in sunlight, into the Hofgarten, And drank coffee, and talked for an hour.” (Eliot, lines 10-11)
• “Then practice losing farther, losing faster: places, and names, and where it was you meant to travel. None of these will bring disaster.” (Bishop, lines 7-9)
• “Peyote solidities of halls, backyard green tree cemetery dawns, wine drunkenness over the rooftops,” (Ginsberg)

And here are the 3 entries you will need to insert into the Works Cited section of your essay:

• Eliot, T.S. “The Waste Land.” 1922. Poetry Foundation , https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47311/the-waste-land. Accessed 07 July 2021.
• Bishop, Elizabeth “One Art .” 1976. Poetry Foundation , https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47536/one-art. Accessed 07 July 2021.
• Ginsberg, Allen “Howl.” 1956. Poetry Foundation , https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49303/howl. Accessed 07 July 2021.

When it comes to APA, style, quotes are similar to MLA (note the differences though):

• A short quote: “That there was hardly room ’tween-decks for half the sweltering cattle stowed spoon-fashion there;” (Hayden, 1962)
• A long quote: Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore— While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. “’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door— Only this and nothing more.” (Poe, 1945, lines 1-6)

The entries you need to make in the References list are as follows:

• Hayden, R. (1962). Middle Passage. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43076/middle-passage
• Poe, A.E. (1945). The Raven. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48860/the-raven

As you can see, writing a poem analysis essay is not overly complex. However, some poems are more difficult than others, so you may run into trouble. If this happens, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our writing service . We may not know your professor’s poetry analysis essay rubric, but we certainly know how to write an amazing essay on poetry. Give us a try!

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Tips To Write A Poetry Analysis Essay

Table of Contents

Poetry is the rhythmic flow of emotions via verses and tempo. Poetry has been around for thousands of years and remains a primary medium of communicating ideas, expressing feelings & creating imagery. It has been the vessel of expressing love for someone close, marveling at the spectacles of nature, or sharing opinions on society & its aspects. Today, poetry is an integral part of art and culture. From the  sonnets of Shakespeare to T.S. Eliot’s reflection on the human state , poetry is an eternal form of literary art, read and recited for generations on end.

Analyzing poetry is a substantial and critical task that requires careful analysis. Even the simplest of all poems is the sum of many parts. Some are structured with rhythmic lines, and some constrained with meter , the rhythmic emphasis on a line. All in all, poetry analysis requires scrutiny of the rhythm scheme, the imagery portrayed, mimesis, onomatopoeia, and all the different literary devices that give a poem its flavor.

Let us take a look at the essentials of how to write a poetry analysis essay .

Poetry Analysis Essay: Tips, Steps and Structure

 From rhythmic verses to flowing words, poems have a sublime quality that’s pleasing and appeals to the ear. However, to truly understand a poem, we need to unpack it and understand the elements that power it.

Analyzing any poem is THE central aspect of developing a perfect poetry analysis essay and requires deep thinking. The article itself is a typical one with an introduction, body, and conclusion. So, without any further ado, let’s look at the nuances of developing a stellar literature essay on poetry analysis.

Poetry Analysis 101

A poem comprises various independent elements, and each must be analyzed carefully to understand the subject within the form.  

We start by breaking down the poem into its constituent elements to study its structure, form, language, metrical pattern, and underlying theme.  Only then can we understand and appreciate the content on a deeper level.

Five critical elements to be considered when analyzing poetry are as follows.

• Theme: The theme of a poem is the basic idea or context that defines it. The central vision or the subject matter that the verses talk about and needs to be understood in-depth.
• Language: From diction to imagery, the language of a poem builds the mood and tone of the poem. Language helps convey the ideas & emotion and impacts the rhythm of the poem.
• Sound and Rhythm: The patterns of syllables and stresses on particular sections create the poem’s metrical pattern.
• Structure: The framework of a poem influences the way it is meant to be read. Usually, a poet sculpts the story & presents ideas using stanzas, line breaks, rhyme patterns, punctuations, and pauses.
• Context: The context of a poem explains its subject: the who, what, where, when, and why.

A specific roadmap is necessary to unearth and understand all these intricacies in depth. So, let’s take a look at those steps and tips in detail.

Learn to Do Poetry Analysis like a Pro with These Examples

Poetry analysis can seem like a hassle if you are not aware of the right techniques. Go through these examples today and learn the tips to analyze poems easily. Master the techniques of decoding the rhymes and rhythms and figuring out which techniques you need to use.

Check This Poetry Analysis Essay Example

Steps and Tips For Writing A Great Poetry Analysis Essay

Poetry analysis essays are akin to analytical essays, as writers need to interpret a poem in-depth and review all the different artistic, functional & structural pieces. Here are some great tips on how to analyze poetry perfectly.

1. Begin By Reading OUT LOUD

Read the poem thoroughly at least twice. First, read it out loud as it is supposed to be read and listen to it minutely.  Follow the structural, functional, and rhythmic elements while reading out loud. Then, go through it slowly and appreciate all the nuances and features that make the content unique.

The rhythmic patterns in a poem can be understood by reading out loud. When reading aloud, one can understand how the words, syllables, and essential elements shape the rhythm & flow. If possible, get your hands on recording the poems’ recital and listen to it with rapt attention. Listen carefully to the word flow within the rhythm, from line to line, among breaks and wherever there’s stress.

Also, go through the title and understand how it relates to the meat of the matter.

2. Map The Rhyme Scheme, If Any

It does not take much time to understand whether a poem has a rhythmic scheme or uses free verse, that is, without any rhythmic elements or regular meter.

If a poem has a rhythmic scheme, map it out by assigning a letter to each line that rhythms the same. Then, read it aloud time and again or listen to recitals carefully to identify the rhythm patterns. Take note of any distinct design or formal rhyme scheme or any formal rhyme schemes, such as alternate rhyme, ballade, monorhyme, coupled rhyme, terza rima, triplet, etc.

3. Scan The Poem’s Metrics

Scansion is the process that involves scanning and analyzing the meter of a poem. The Meter of a poem is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables on each line. Mark every stressed syllable that’s paired with at least one unstressed syllable.  Next, mark the pattern of stresses throughout a line and identify the meter based on your observations.

4. Break Down The Whole Structure

Next up, take a look at the written structure of the poem. Look at the details of the poem’s design, such as the white spaces around the words. Notice all the structures within the content and find out if they align with the idea & thoughts they are meant to represent. For example, does the end of a line signify the end of a thought, or does it employ enjambment ? Are all verses in sync with the overall tone & rhythm of the whole poem?

Note all such things as they form the crux of the subject matter of your essay.

5. Determine The Poem’s Form and Study Its Language

Poets employ a variety of diction, literary devices, and specific elements purposefully to build tempo, develop rhythm and express different things.

Identify all such elements of poetry and literary nuances to determine the form of the poem. For example, if the poem has three four-line stanzas followed by a couplet, the poem is a sonnet. There are many other formal types of poetry, each having its specific features.

Examine each word in a specific line. Note if it has any particular significance on the line and overall story & them of the poem. Take note of how the poet plays with the language using metaphors, similes, alliteration, assonance and other figurative languages to sculpt the poem.

6. Study The Content Carefully

As you study the poem, interpret the message it delivers meticulously. Look at the content and the message it tries to get over.  Uncover the theme and learn when the poem was written to understand its historical context.  Find out where it was written and the background of the poet.  All such information will aid you in realizing and acknowledging the poem deeply.

Your poetry analysis essay needs to deliver all such information in accurate detail.

7. Determine The Poem’s Protagonist

Try to determine who the speaker of the poem is. Is the poem told in first-person, second-person or third person? What tone does the narrator employ to convey information? Identifying these things will help in analyzing the poem from a personal perspective.

8. Paraphrase The Whole Thing, Line By Line

Finally, it is time to paraphrase the poem line by line.  Start right from the start and transform each line. Paraphrasing involves writing down the summary of the poem with appropriate interpretation as you go. Once done, go through the complete paraphrase to understand the meaning of the poem.

The paraphrase and analysis will be the source material for your poetry analysis essay. However, before rounding up this article, let’s look at the generic template of a poetry analysis essay.

A Poetry Analysis Essay Template

Following is a generic poetry analysis essay template or outline. All the results of your analysis need to be presented cohesively in essay structures as follows.

1. Author and title of the poem.

2. Form & Stylistic Elements: romanticism, realism, symbolism, etc., literary devices & figurative languages; structural features

3. Genre : epigram, epitaph, sonnet, etc.

4. The history of the poem’s creation-  when it was written, for what reason, to whom it was dedicated. Mention the importance of this same poem in the poet’s life and career.

5. Theme, Main Idea, Subject or Background:

6. Description of The Protagonist or Primary Subject

7. The Poet’s Vocabulary-  (whether it’s casual & colloquial, bookish, aristocratic, rustic neutral, journalistic).

8. Composition of the work . Analyze the micro-theme of every stanza and how they relate to the broader work. Highlight the main parts of the poem, show their connections and determine the emotional drawing of the poem;

9. Your Perspectives

A poetry analysis essay should be able to dissect a poem with precision. At the same time, the presentation of all the information via an essay should be engaging and intuitive. Readers should be able to read both the poem and the piece in tandem and understand every bit of it.

Well, there you have it! Hope the above tips and guidelines aid you in crafting an excellent poetry analysis essay.  However, if critical analyses seem a bit too overwhelming, there’ no need to panic or look for a poetry analysis website.

MyAssignmentHelp.com is here to assist.

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Hi, I am Mark, a Literature writer by profession. Fueled by a lifelong passion for Literature, story, and creative expression, I went on to get a PhD in creative writing. Over all these years, my passion has helped me manage a publication of my write ups in prominent websites and e-magazines. I have also been working part-time as a writing expert for myassignmenthelp.com for 5+ years now. It’s fun to guide students on academic write ups and bag those top grades like a pro. Apart from my professional life, I am a big-time foodie and travel enthusiast in my personal life. So, when I am not working, I am probably travelling places to try regional delicacies and sharing my experiences with people through my blog. 

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English 1302 - Aguilar, Liz Ann: Essay

• Assignment- Poetry Analysis

Essay #3 Due Date: Monday, April 22, 2024 [SLOS 1-5] Background: For this assignment, the student will develop a greater understanding of fiction analysis by providing the student with an opportunity to research literary criticisms and apply those identified literary terms of the topic in the writing of a research essay for the course.  

Learning Outcomes for ENGL 1302: This essay #3 assignment will clearly address all five learning outcomes as identified in this course. 1. Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative research processes. 2. Develop ideas and synthesize primary and secondary sources within focused academic arguments, including one or more research-based essays. 3. Analyze, interpret, and evaluate a variety of texts for the ethical and logical uses of evidence. 4. Write in a style that clearly communicates meaning, builds credibility, and inspires belief or action. 5. Apply the conventions of style manuals for specific academic disciplines (e.g., APA, CMS, MLA, etc.).  

Task: Essay #3-Fiction: The two short stories that students are required to use for this comparison and contrast essay are Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Birth-Mark, and Haruki Murakami’s On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning. Topic: “Write an essay exploring how character, point of view, setting, symbolism, or any recurring word or phrase contributes to the development of [the] theme [of perfection]. Be sure to state [perfection]-that theme in a sentence.” [Note: Quoted content in this topic is referenced in Suggestions for Writing, Question #1, of The Norton Introduction to Literature by Kelly J. Mays. Pg. 224], 13th edition  

Requirements: Essay #3 will follow the MLA heading format. The five-page [estimated word count-1,250 words] essay written in third person [he/she/it] will be typed, double- spaced, use Times New Roman font style, 12-point font size.

Along with your essay, a pre and post questionnaires of your topic and writing process, a topic outline, personal interview [quotes from the result of a three-question interview focus-on the theme of perfection] will be cited in your essay, and the interview will also be cited in the works cited page. For your works cited sources, you will include a minimum of six sources [two primary sources-the two short stories] and four secondary sources. Of the four secondary sources, one source will focus on a literary criticism, the second required source is a personal interview, a third source is a website, and the fourth source is your personal choice of reference material. The students will utilize the Modern Language Association, 9th edition for their internal citations and works cited throughout the essay.  

Tutor Review: You will be required to submit your essay for a tutor review through the Writing Center/SLAC online tutoring. The tutor review is required as a part of your essay grades, so schedule your online tutor appointments ahead of time. When you meet with your online tutor, please refer to the assignment task, so that the tutor can identify what the assignment requires.

Essay #2-FENCES Due Date: Monday, April 1st [SLOS 1-5]  

Background: For this assignment, the student will develop a greater understanding of characterization as it pertains to its purpose in the drama of Fences by August Wilson/ Antigone by Sophocles. Students will select one question from the list of possible topics provided. The research will provide the students with a better understanding of the character analysis of these men and women during the date of the play’s time period.  

Learning Outcomes for ENGL 1302: This essay #2 assignment will clearly address all five learning outcomes as identified in this course. 1. Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative research processes. 2. Develop ideas and synthesize primary and secondary sources within focused academic arguments, including one or more research-based essays. 3. Analyze, interpret, and evaluate a variety of texts for the ethical and logical uses of evidence. 4. Write in a style that clearly communicates meaning, builds credibility, and inspires belief or action. 5. Apply the conventions of style manuals for specific academic disciplines (e.g., APA, CMS, MLA, etc.).  

Topics are listed below, choose one topic:  

Fences by August Wilson Reference- The Norton Introduction to Literature by Kelly J. Mays. Shorter 14th Edition  

I. Question #3 Suggestions for Writing located in your textbook on pg. 1340: “Write an essay exploring Wilson’s characterization of Rose. What might the play suggest, through her, about the options available to, or conflicts faced by, women in general or African American women in particular in the 1950s? To what extent might Wilson’s play, [ FENCES ] reproduce or challenge our preconceptions [or stereotypical views] about such women ?”  

II. Question #4-Suggestions for Writing located in your textbook on pg. 1340: “Research theories of tragedy and the tragic hero. Drawing on both these and evidence from Wilson’s play, explain whether and how Fences might be considered a tragedy or Troy Maxson a tragic hero.”

Antigone by Sophocles III. Question #1-Suggestions for Writing located in your textbook on pg. 1718: “The first two scenes or episodes of Antigone introduce us to each of the play’s two main characters—first Antigone, then Creon. Write an essay in which you explore what each scene shows us about who these characters are, what motives and values drive them, and why they come into conflict. What does Sophocles achieve by showing us Antigone in conversation with her sister, or Creon with a “convocation of the elders” (line 177)? In terms of characterization and conflict, what is the significance of the choral songs that end each of these two opening episodes?”

Requirements: Essay #2 will follow the MLA heading format. The four-page [estimated word count-1,000 words] essay written in third person [he/she/it] will be typed, double-spaced, use Times New Roman font style, 12-point font size.

Along with your essay, a pre and post questionnaires of your topic and writing process, required brainstorming-Reporter Questions [1-H and 5 W’s], a topic outline, two-annotated bibliographies [peer-reviewed journal article and website article] and works cited page referencing your primary source of the play either Antigone or Fences and four secondary sources. Of the four secondary sources, one source will be a peer-reviewed journal article and another source will be an article on a website. The students will utilize the Modern Language Association, 9th edition for their internal citations and works cited throughout the essay.  

Tutor Review: You will be required to submit your essay for a tutor review through the Student Success Center/Writing Center/SLAC online tutoring/Brainfuse. The tutor review is required as a part of your essay grades, so schedule your online tutor appointments ahead of time. When you meet with your online tutor, please refer to the assignment task, so that the tutor can identify what the assignment requires.

Essay #1 - Poetry Explication

Due Date: Sunday, February 18 th , 11:59p.m.  

Background: For this assignment, the student will explore the explication of poetry through a comparison and contrast essay analysis with a focus on an emotion. The students will utilize the Modern Language Association, 9th edition for their internal citations and works cited throughout the essay.  

Definition of Explication: “A poetry explication is an analytical essay that comments on a poem's elements and possible meanings. In other words, writers make connections between the narrative of the poem and the literary choices the poet uses to convey that narrative such as imagery, tone, rhythm and meter, and word choice” (Google Definition).  

Learning Outcomes for ENGL 1302:  

This essay #1 assignment will clearly address all five learning outcomes as identified in this course.  

• Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative research processes.  
• Develop ideas and synthesize primary and secondary sources within focused academic arguments, including one or more research-based essays.  
• Analyze, interpret, and evaluate a variety of texts for the ethical and logical uses of evidence.  
• Write in a style that clearly communicates meaning, builds credibility, and inspires belief or action.  
• Apply the conventions of style manuals for specific academic disciplines (e.g., APA, CMS, MLA, etc.).  

TOPIC :   For this poetry explication, the student will write a comparison and contrast essay by selecting two published poems focused on the student’s selected emotion [Examples: Sadness/Happiness/Anger/Love/Fear]. Each poem should have a minimum of 12 lines for purposes of analysis. Both poems must describe the same emotion, but the contrast will occur in how both poems represent the idea and its portrayal within the poems.   

Requirements:  

Essay #1 will follow the MLA assignment and page heading format. The four-page essay [approximate 1000 words] will be typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman font style, 12-point font size.  Along with your essay, the following items will be submitted: Pre and Post Questionnaires of your topic and writing process, brainstorming [student choice], a topic outline [word to phrase outline], and works cited page referencing your selected two (2) poems and two (2) secondary sources of your choice [Examples: Literary criticism, website, critical essay, a peer-reviewed journal article, etc.]

Tutor Review:  

You will be required to submit your essay for a tutor review through the following locations: English Success Center, Brainfuse, SLAC online tutoring, or SAC Writing Center. Please note that a listing of these locations will be provided for you via Canvas announcements. The tutor review is required as a part of your essay grades, so schedule your online tutor appointments ahead of time. When you meet with your online tutor, please refer to the assignment task, so that the tutor can identify what the assignment requires. You will need to provide a confirmation page or paperwork that will verify your tutoring session, so please request this verification at the beginning of your tutoring session/in writing is using an online platform.   

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Poetry Analysis Essay: How to Become a Pro at It?

Table Of Contents

Poetry analysis essay: an insight into it.

• How to Write a Poetry Analysis Essay? [X Steps]

How to Analyze a Poem & Write About It in Essay?

2 poem analysis examples for college students, who can provide poetry essay help to me “we can”.

There are mountains and valleys far somewhere,

And there are clouds and rain that seem so near,

I feel mixed emotions like a smile on my face or a silent tear,

Every time I think of the God who created all this, and I fear ,

From h ow could He do so much and all we return is more pain to b ear…

This simple poem has an in-depth meaning that can or cannot be understood by all. But usually, when students are studying Literature, they come across some tasks such as poetry analysis essay writing where they are needed to read the write-ups, understand the essence and then conduct an in-depth analysis and write an essay based on it. But if you are new to this concept and have no idea what this is all about, then keep reading this blog for more details!

The simple 3-word term- Poetry Analysis Essay is a piece of writing that students, especially those from a Literature background, are asked to write and submit to the professor to get their degree. It includes:

• Critically review a poem
• Reflecting on the poem’s depth
• Presents the subject of the poem
• Introduces the theme and tone
• Explains the poet’s feelings and perspective

More to this contributes to finally presenting one's understanding of a poem in the form of an essay. Wondering how to write one? Read the below section!

How to Write a Poetry Analysis Essay? [3 Steps]

If you are planning to write a poetry analysis essay, then simply follow the three-step process suggested by the best cheap essay writing service  . Assignment Prime:

Step 1: Choose a Topic

The first step of writing an impressive essay is choosing a topic of your interest. This is crucial because if you make any mistake here, you will get in trouble. So, to help you make this step an easy-going process, here are a few examples:

• Features of Prose
• Sylvia Plath’s Poetry
• Shakespeare’s Sonnets
• Brief on Japanese Haiku
• Relation of Poetry & Feminism

Step 2: Prepare an Outline

The second step of this process is to prepare an outline of the essay to have a clear path to follow. This will thus help you keep away from any distractions that can impact the essay. Here's the ideal outline you should follow:

• Introduction: In this section, you give a brief on the poem's title and introduce the poet.
• Body: This section is for the actual analysis, references, and supporting evidence on the whole poem.
• Conclusion: In this section, you summarize your analysis and mention the key points.

Step 3: Write the Essay

Now that you have a clear title and a set outline to follow, here you start the actual writing process. It includes:

• Read & Analyse the Poem

Begin with reading the whole poem multiple times to understand what the poet is trying to convey through this poem to the audience. Then, analyze the poem from multiple perspectives to get the best and satisfactory outcome.

• Write It Using Simple Language

Once you get what you want from that poem, it's time to present your understanding of that poem to readers. So, go for a simple and easy-to-understand language that can clearly convey your perspective to the audience without any hassle.

• Edit and Proofread It Before Submission

This is the final stage where you go through your essay one last time for errors before submission. The mistakes can be spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, typos, and so on, which hamper the actual meaning of the sentences.

A student should follow three simple steps when drafting a poetry analysis essay. If you are new here and have no idea how to analyze a poem, read the below section to know in detail!

You need to analyze a poem closely and in-depth when writing an essay on it. And while doing that, you need to follow the below-mentioned steps:

Step 1: What Are the Things You Need to Consider for Analyzing a Poem?

• What is the theme of the poetry?
• What language is used in the poem?
• What sound & rhythm are followed in it?
• What is the final framework used in the poem?
• What is the actual context of the poem?

Step 2: What Are the Steps You Need to Follow When Analyzing a Poem?

When you are drafting an analysis on any poem, then you should make sure to follow these simple steps:

• Read the Poem - The first step in this process is to read the poem. Do this multiple times to get better at it every time and get a clear understanding.
• Understand the Title - Often, students ignore this but focus on the title and what it is trying to convey to the audience.
• Know the Speaker - A very important step is to know the speaker and look into his previous works to better understand his thinking and perspective.
• Observe Mood & Tone - It is important to understand the tone of the poem and explain the mood set for this piece of writing.
• Get the Poem Theme - See the big picture and understand the actual theme of this poem.

Step 3: What to Include in Which Section When Writing a Poetry Analysis?

Since you have all the information about the subject and theme ready, it's time you write the essay, and for the same, you need to know which section of the essay should include what information. So, here's everything about it:

• Introduction - You provide a brief of the poem, poet, and theme in the essay's introduction section.
• About the Poem - You include the poem like theme, mood, tone, similes used, and other details in the first section and provide evidence of the same in the second section of the body part in an essay.
• About the Poet - You can include some basic details of the poet, like his name, previous works, his perspective, approach, etc., in the third section of the essay.
• Your Understanding - You can dedicate one last section of the essay to understanding the poem and the poet. This is to present your genuine opinion.
• Take-Away - The conclusion of your essay highlights key points and includes any takeaway from the whole poem for the reader.

These are the three simple steps to analyze a poem for writing a poetry analysis essay. If you are still facing any trouble or doubts, go through the examples mentioned in the below section!

If you are a college-going student who is asked to draft an analysis essay on poetry, then you would be wondering what to do and how to write one, right? In that case, read this blog while considering the poem analysis example ideas below, and you will get a clear picture of the whole process that can help you!

• “Bean Eaters” by Gwendolyn Brooks

• “The Mother” by Gwendolyn Brooks

These are the two top examples that you can refer to whenever you are in need of motivation. But if you are still facing any issue or running out of time, you can seek experts' help online; surprised? Wondering who can help you? Read below!

One common query of students when it comes to a poetry analysis essay is, "Who will provide essay help if I get stuck?" If you also have a similar query or are struggling with a similar thing, turn to Assignment Prime's subject experts. We have a professional team with years of experience who deliver top-notch quality work. Our writers, researchers, editors, proofreaders, and quality analysts deliver flawless and plagiarism-free work right on time and at the most affordable prices.

We understand the struggles of students, thus to help them, we provide amazing discounts, exciting offers, and interesting freebies like free title selection, free reference page, free editing and proofreading, free Plagiarism report, and so on. So, what are you waiting for? Reach out to our experts at the earliest to not miss any amazing offers and get the best quality essay delivered to you. All the best!

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How to write Poetry Analysis Essay?- Structure & Writing Tips

Home / Blog / How To Write Poetry Analysis Essay?- Structure & Writing Tips

Introduction

Everything you need to know about writing a poetry analysis essay.

Poems are perhaps the most brilliant pieces of literature as they convey deep messages in just a few lines, often while maintaining a certain rhythm. It is quite obvious that you will require a certain level of skills to analyse poetry. If you are asked to develop a poetry analysis essay, there are a few things you need to know first.

What Is a Poetry Analysis Essay?

As you may have guessed already, poetry analysis can be defined as a critical review given on a poem, a reflection on the depth and significance of a poem. It generally revolves around different aspects of a poem, starting from the subject of a poem, its tone, theme, literary devices, the feeling of the poet, to how a reader feels about the poem.

It is not just the analysis of techniques used in the literary piece, but poetry analysis offers a broader and clearer picture of the poem, the hidden meanings between the lines, its reality, a study of the poet's mind, and the intention behind a poem. Through the poetry analysis, you need to investigate and review the poem.

Conduct some research on the poet, the era (time frame), the background behind the conceptualisation of the poem, and the possible reasons to develop an insightful poetry analysis essay.

Here You Can also Read About Essay Introduction

How to Structure a Poetry Analysis Essay? 

In order to produce a good poetry analysis essay, you need to plan out the structure of the content. It makes the writing services stage a lot easier and faster. Here are the major elements of a poetry analysis outline that you need to include in your essay :

• Opening paragraph: Introduce the poem, title, poet (or author) and background.
• Body paragraphs: Put across your analysis of the poem, linking ideas and referencing to the poem.
• Conclusion: State one main idea, feelings and meanings.

Here is a detailed overview of the various elements of the poetry analysis essay structure:

• Poetry analysis essay introduction:

You should start your essay by introducing your readers to the name of the poem and the author. You should also mention the year the poem was first published. To make the poem more comprehensive for the readers, you should also consider giving some background details and interesting facts or trivia about the poem or the poet (the author).

• Poetry analysis essay body:

When you write the main body of the essay, you need to reference all ideas to the poem. Consider including a quotation box to back up the sentence. This is where you need to discuss what you analysed in the poem. You need to be very clear with your statements.

• Poetry analysis essay conclusion:

In this segment, you need to take a step back from analysing the individual elements of the poem and work out its meaning as a whole. You need to combine the different elements of the analysis and highlight one main idea.

You will have to follow this outline to prepare your poetry analysis essay. However, if you haven’t prepared such an essay before, you will have to learn the steps of how to write a poetry analysis essay.

How to Write a Poetry Analysis Essay?

Now that you have a good understanding of the poetry analysis essay outline, follow the guide to develop a well-structured and insightful poetry analysis essay:

Choose a suitable poem:

If you are given the option to choose any poem for your analysis essay, use it to your advantage. Pick a poem that you find interesting and analyse it for the essay. It will be a lot easier to handle to task when you are familiar with the poem.

Read the text carefully:

The first thing you need to do after choosing the poem is to go through the poem carefully as many times as possible. You cannot miss any part of it, as you need to give a complete analysis of the whole text.

Always double-check the meanings:

When you are reading the chosen poem, do not forget to check for the meanings and significance of words and phrases. There can be hidden meanings to words and phrases that the poet (or author) wanted to convey. So, you need to identify those while reading the poem.

Collect all the necessary details:

To write a compelling essay, you need to have a good understanding of the poem's structure, content, main ideas, background details, and others. Note all those details for your essay and also collect relevant data about the author and the time when the poem was written.

Explore hidden meanings:

As mentioned before, you need to identify and explore the hidden meanings of words. You will have to look beyond the literal meanings of the words and find broader, hidden ideas that the author wanted to share through the poem.

Prepare an outline and draft the essay:

Once you are done gathering the necessary details and exploring the hidden meanings, it is time to prepare the outline for your poetry analysis essay and draft the content accordingly. Follow the similar outline discussed earlier in this blog. The outline will allow you to produce more structured and organised content for the analysis essay.

Proofread and edit:

Lastly, go through your essay a few times to ensure it covers all the necessary points and complies with all the major guidelines and instructions. Also, look for areas, which you believe could be written better and make the necessary changes.

This way, you can develop a quality poetry analysis essay on your own. However, if you want to look at a few examples of such essays, you can find such samples online. In fact, you won’t have to look anywhere else for essay-related assistance.

Here You Can also Read About  How To Conclude An Essay

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