Steps in Analyzing a Poem

“Steps in Analyzing a Poem” by Dene Grigar

Step I. Familiarize Yourself with the Poem 1. Read the poem. and its Origins 2. Consider the origins of the poem. Look at the date the work was written and who wrote it. Ask question: What literary period does the poem fall into, and does it possess the traits of that period?

Step II. Identify the Poetic Form 1. Number the lines, count the stanzas, count the lines in stanzas.

2. Step back and consider the poem’s physical layout (lines and stanzas and shape). Ask this question: Does the poem follow any particular identifiable poetic form? (In other words, if it has 14 lines, is it a sonnet? If it tells a long story that seems like it can be sung, is it a ballad? Etc.). If it does, identify the form.

Step III. Determine the Content of the 1. Reread the poem for content. Ask Poem these questions: What does the poem say? What is going on in the poem? Who is the speaker?

2. Apply the various literary elements and devices to the poem (setting, point of view, imagery, etc.). Ask this question: How is meaning made using these elements and devices?

Step IV. Examine the Poem’s Structure 1. Scan the poem to determine its meter and linelength. Remember, if it is a closed-form poem, the scanning may reveal a regular meter and foot (iambic tetrameter, for example). If it is open-form poetry, then the poem’s meter and foot may not be regular, but IT DOES NOT MEAN IT DOES NOT MAKE USE OF STRESS LINE LENGTH. It just means it is not regular. So, read the poem, line by line and circling the words stressed by the poet.

2. Look to see how the lines are treated: Do the words run-on to the next line? Do they stop with punctuation at the end of the line? Now, ask this question: How is meaning made with the meter and line length and line treatment????

Step V. Consider the Sound of the Poem 1. Read the poem aloud and listen to its sound. Ask this question: What sounds emerge as dominant ones? If there is a heavy use of sibilants, for example, do they give the poem a lushness, or are they used to provide a diabolical feel to the poem––that is, a hissing? Are “M”s heavily used? If so, does their quality to lengthen a word help to make meaning in the poem? Etc.

Step VI. Synthesize analysis of all Poetic 1. Reread the poem, considering as Components you read, all of the components (origins, form, content, structure, and meaning) you have analyzed. Ask this question: How do they add to an understanding of the poem? Keep in mind when analyzing poetry, it is not as important to ask what a poem means, but, rather, how the poem comes to mean what it means.

This process requires an in-depth investigation of a poem. Although you are asked to look at the individual components that help to make meaning in a poem, you are required to synthesize your findings into a final consideration of how the poem comes to mean what it means. Synthesis goes beyond analysis and is the necessary step for moving toward evaluation. In other words, synthesis is a higher level of thinking than analysis.