Writing About Poetry

For poetry questions you may be asked to-

Comment on the ideas and attitudes in the poem

Look at how the poet’s ideas are expressed

Look at how the poem effects you

Look at the poet’s intentions

Look at how the poet describes the senses (smell, taste, touch etc)

Look at imagery and symbolism

Look at the form, structure, rhyme scheme, use of language, etc

FORM

How is the poem constructed?

Line length

Rhyme scheme

Number and length of lines

LANGUAGE

The choice of adjectives (describing words).

Look at images and symbols that convey particular ideas.

Poetry techniques such as simile, metaphor or onomatopoeia.

SOUND

Look at rhyme and decide whether they reinforce meaning

Use of repetition

Use of rhythm

MEANING

Look at deeper meanings in the poem such as the change of power between the male and female in ‘The Beggar Woman’ or the use of imagery and the theme of plants/trees in ‘Search For My Tongue’.

Look at what message the poet wants to convey and analyse how well he/she achieves this.

How does the poet want the audience to feel?

What context did the poet write the poem? (eg. Was it written in a specific time period such as the political poem ‘Troubles’ which focuses on Northern Ireland unrest). Perhaps it is a poem written by a male but is empathetic towards women’s point of view or perhaps the poem has an unusual message considering the date it was written.

Looking at these deeper meaning will score you extra marks.

 

QUOTING

 

Always do the following-

 

Make a point  Use a quotation  Make a comment

 

Use short, relevant quotes and say how they support your point.