Move through the poem slowly in a logical manner, pointing out any literary devices or elements of interest. In this second part of the essay, you are helping your reader gain an understanding of the poem in terms of its narrative—what’s going on in the poem—and in terms of the poet’s use of poetic devices to convey meaning.
Here are some questions to consider in this section:
What is the poem s main idea? What larger themes or issues are addressed— religious, philosophical, political, etc.? What patterns can you find (recurring imagery, repetition, formal and stylistic features)? Are there allusions present to other poetic works, myths, historicaVreligious figures, etc.? What is the lyric situation? (Why was it written? Who is the speaker/addressee? What is the occasion?) What poetic devices and figurative language does it use? (metaphor, simile, metonymy, synecdoche, symbol, personification, etc.) Why does it use the specific words it does? (consider etymologies, denotations, connotations, and homonyms. Use a dictionary/thesaurus to reinterpret or rethink even common words.) What is its tone? What type of language does it use? (formal informal? Slang? Euphony/cacophony?)
Sample Solution
