Many students express confusion when it comes to poems, stating that they don’t understand them and don’t know where to start. To make matters worse, some teachers suggest that literature is meant to be “felt,” which can be challenging for individuals who tend to think before they feel. What are they supposed to feel if they don’t even understand the language in the first place?
This isn’t to say that we should disregard the emotional aspect of literature, but it’s important to acknowledge that a written literary analysis is a critical thinking paper, not a critical “feeling” paper. It involves recognising patterns, analysing them, and producing an interpretation that distinguishes a literature student from a casual reader. So how exactly do we get good at analysing a poem if we don’t understand them and don’t know where to start?
As with learning how to beat the boss in any game, start small, read more and practise until it becomes second nature.
- Title:
– Consider the literal meaning of the title.
– Usually provides a glimpse into the theme or subject matter. - Speaker:
– Identify the speaker or voice.
– Could be the poet themselves, a character created by the poet, or a persona adopted by the poet.
– Identifying the speaker provides insight into the perspective from which the poem is being told. - Gist:
– Restate the poem in your own words.
– Look up words you don’t understand.
– Define the main gist. - Connotation:
– Explore the meaning beyond the surface level by using knowledge of poetic devices.
– Examine the structure and form.
– Identify themes and symbols.
– Analyse language and imagery.
– It all contributes to the underlying message or emotions that the poet is trying to convey. - Attitude:
– Take note of both the speaker’s and the poet’s tone and attitude towards the subject. - Shifts:
– Identify any changes throughout the poem, such as setting, time, place, tone, attitude, diction, punctuation, rhyme, sentence structure and stanza length.
– Think about the purpose, effect and significance of the shifts. - Title:
– Re-evaluate the meaning of the title on an interpretive level. - Theme:
– Determine the main idea or message that the speaker or poet is trying to convey.
Note that there is no way to ensure that a student will not misread or misinterpret a poem or a question. Everyone makes mistakes, whether in literature or in an objective subject like mathematics; it is inevitable. However, through practice, it is possible to minimise the occurrence of those mistakes and increase the chances of getting it right.
