How to Analyse a Poem

First introduce the poem by stating the title, the name of the author, the year of publication, and the title of the collection of poetry that is has been taken from.

Example: The poem "Harlem" was written by Langston Hughes. It was first published in 1951 as part of the collection "Montage of a Dream Deferred".

In the introduction, you can also add a sentence or two that summarizes what the poem describes or what it is about.

It is also a good idea to say what you want to look at in the poem. You may want to wait until you have done most of the work on the analysis before you write this part, so that you know what the analysis has shown you.

Example: This analysis will focus on the way imagery is used to create a vivid impression of the characters in the poem.

Below, is a list of literary features that you often can comment on in a poem. You do not have to comment on all of them and feel free to change the order in your analysis. Focus on the features that are most relevant to the poem you are studying.

Form and structure

Describe the overall form or structure of the poem. Ask yourself questions such as:

How many stanzas does it have? Are they all the same length?

Would you describe the structure as traditional/conventional/typical? Why or why not?

Based on the content of the poem, can it be divided into different parts?

Mood and diction

The words in a poem create a certain mood or atmosphere. Diction is the author's style of writing or the author's specific choice of words.

Ask yourself: how does the poem make you feel? And then: what words are used that cause you to feel this way?

Example: In lines 4-6 of the poem "Harlem" the idea of a dream that never comes true, is compared to a bleeding wound or a "sore" and something that stinks like "rotten meat". This creates a very unpleasant and even sickening mood.

Remember that the mood can change or develop throughout the poem.

Rhyme and rhythm

Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounds. Start by looking at the final words in each line of the poem. Do they rhyme? If they do, then see if you can find a pattern or a rhyme scheme.

Example: The rhyme scheme of the four lines in the first stanza of Shakespeare's sonnet 120 is: A,B,A,B.

The words of a poem can rhyme in many different ways. Watch our short animations about the rhyming devices called Alliteration and Assonance below.

The rhythm of a poem can be described as the pattern of sounds or the beat/musicality of a poem. Can you describe the rhythm of the poem? Does it change at some point? And how does the rhyme or structure of the poem affect the rhythm?

Imagery

Try to find 2-4 images in the poem that you sense are important, interesting or even confusing. Use a direct quotation of the image and a) link it to a literary device (metaphor, simile, symbol, personification etc.) and b) comment on what you believe that the image means or implies (your interpretation).

You can learn more about this metaphor and simile by watching the following animation.

You can learn more about symbols by watching the animation below.

Personification:

When something non-human (idea, object, animal etc.) is given human characteristics it is called personification.

Contrast:

Contrast is made up of two things that are in some way very different from each other. Contrast is the antonym of simile. Contrast is used to emphasise a point, and draw attention to the differences between the things being contrasted. Ask yourself: "Does the poem use images to form a contrast?"

Example: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun.

There are several ways to conclude an analysis. You may want to sum up the most interesting things you discovered about the poem, or you can discuss the overall theme of the poem.

Theme

Ask yourself: "What is the main theme in the poem?" What is the main idea that it tries to convey? Does the poem succeed in communicating a message to the reader?

Example: A central theme in "Harlem" is the importance of hopes and dreams in a person's life and identity. In the last line of the poem, it warns the reader what might happen if these dreams are denied and people are oppressed. The reaction will be explosive and violent.

Learn more about theme by watching the animation below.