Analyse Of Poem

When you critically analyse a poem, the framework is very different from that of an essay. You no longer need an introduction, an argument and a conclusion. Instead, you write a lean and incisive critical response to the poem, addressing the subject, theme, form and style, tone and atmosphere of the poem, and end with your personal response to the poem.

You should also be aware of the poetic terms which you will be expected to use in your analysis.

Using a framework will help you to attain the appropriate assessment objective.

Of course, you will need to use “appropriate terminology” , “accurate written expression” and “coherent written expression” to fully meet the assessment objective.

Subject Matter

Give a very brief synopsis in your own words, and try to capture the atmosphere of the passage by including descriptive detail.

Theme

An expression of the theme in an incisive and economical manner could, in fact, provide your analysis with an excellent introduction; you are, however, unlikely to deduce the theme (or themes) until you have established the subject matter in your own mind.

Form

This allows you to examine the shape and structure of the poem, and evaluate the influence of its structure on the mood and meaning. You should check such features as the number of stanzas; the number of lines in each stanza; the scansion (rhythm) of the poem; the rhyme scheme; mention even the absence of some or all of these features. Consider carefully the potential effect of these qualities on the meaning or mood of the poem. Finally, look out for the judicious use of caesura, enjambment and end-stopped lines, which seem to bridge the gap between form and style.

Style

Evaluate features of the poem such as the choice of vocabulary: is it simple, ornate, archaic, technical, pretentious? Highlight the use of figures of speech, such as metaphor, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, bathos, and alliteration, and comment on their appropriateness.

Try to establish the atmosphere of the piece, and perhaps the tone, which is attitude of the writer to his subject : is it sympathetic, satirical, sentimental, objective, compassionate, indifferent, aggressive, or something else?

Final Impression

Finish with a paragraph that evaluates the whole poem again, and expresses how you feel about the experience of reading it. For example, does the poem leave you with a sense of enrichment, or have you experienced something new? Do you think the poet had a good idea but expressed it badly, or was the poem wholly successful?

Patricia Thorns

So, how do I go about writing my first poetry analysis?

1. Ask yourself, “what sort of writing is shaped in front of me?”

2. Speak the poem to yourself.

3. Ask yourself what patterns you can see

4. Are there any characters in this poem? If so, how do they work?

5. How important is the setting?

6. Discuss any ambiguities or paradoxes.

7. Summarise your personal response to the poem.

If you are writing about a long poem, such as Chaucer'sThe Merchant’s Tale, you will have to be selective in your approach. In this case, it might be helpful to:

• Look for a central opposition in the poem.

• Look at details of the poem to see how the poet brings his theme to life.

• Look at another section of the poem to see how the poem is progressing, and how the poet develops his theme.

• Look at how the poem concludes.

• Summarise the sense of the poem as a whole; if it is appropriate, summarise what you feel about the writer.

However you approach the poem, your writing must be disciplined and under control.

Have you some examples of close studies to get me started?

Start by reading An Advancement of Learning and then look at this close study.

Now read Menelaus and Helen, think about it carefully and make notes. Then compare your response with this close study.

Al analizar críticamente un poema , el marco es muy diferente de la de un ensayo. Ya no necesita una introducción, un argumento y una conclusión. En su lugar, se escribe una respuesta crítica magra e incisivo al poema , abordando el tema, el tema , la forma y el estilo , el tono y la atmósfera del poema, y al final con su respuesta personal al poema .

También debe ser consciente de los términos poéticos que se le espera para utilizar en su análisis.

El uso de un marco ayudará a alcanzar el objetivo de una adecuada evaluación .

Por supuesto, usted tendrá que usar " la terminología adecuada ", " expresión escrita precisa " y " expresión escrita coherente " para cumplir plenamente el objetivo de evaluación.

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