Poetry can open up a world of beauty and meaning. When you write a poetry analysis essay, you dive deep into a poem to understand its message. This guide will help you write a great poetry analysis essay, even if English isn’t your first language.
If you remember only one thing from this article later, let it be this one: you write a poetry analysis based on some classical academic principles, but without your personal sentiment, and understanding, your essay will never be good enough. So, from the moment you start reading, try to find a personal attitude and interest, even curiosity. No one asks you “whether you like this poem or not,” but without personal curiosity, it will be a dull work.
Once you start with a sincere interest in mind, you will have the motivation to actually follow the necessary technical steps.
Start with a Careful Reading
The first step in analyzing a poem is to read it carefully. Don’t rush. Read the poem at least three times. The first time, just try to understand the basic story or idea. In your second reading, pay attention to words or phrases you don’t know. Look them up. On your third reading, start thinking about the deeper meaning.
If at this point you feel like the task is overwhelming, you are not curious about the poem at all, and all the allusions are simply lost on you, address a reliable essay writing service for assistance. Poetry is not everyone’s cup of tea, and you may benefit from the assistance of expert poetry analysis writers who cater to thousands of students worldwide. If you decide to keep writing your poetry analysis on your own, let’s continue with our how-to list.
Understand the Basic Elements of a Poem
Every poem has basic elements that are important to understand. The title can give you clues about the poem’s meaning. Sometimes the title seemingly doesn’t have any connection to the core text of the poem. If so, you are in luck because there is definitely a meaning in that and you can spend a few abstracts contemplating that. In general, look for such “easter eggs” in the poem you analyze.
Think about who is speaking in the poem. This voice is called the speaker, and it’s not always the same as the poet. Again, it is a great way to add meaning to your poetry analysis because writing from a different speaker also speaks to the meaning of the piece in question.
Pay attention to how the poem makes you feel. This is the mood of the poem. The tone is the attitude the speaker has towards the subject. Is it happy, sad, angry, or something else?
The theme is the main idea or message of the poem. It might be about love, death, nature, or any other topic. Try to sum up the theme in one sentence. It is similar to formulating a thesis statement in an essay — nothing too fancy (it’s not a dissertation!), but it should be formulated clearly.
Look at the Poem’s Structure
Poems come in many shapes. Some rhyme, some don’t. Look for patterns in the rhymes at the end of lines. This is called the rhyme scheme. Simply Google various rhyme schemes to see which famous poems are also written in this style — it will give you some space and ideas for
Count the syllables in each line. Some poems have a specific number of syllables per line. This is called a meter. Notice how the lines are grouped. These groups are called stanzas. The structure can tell you a lot about the poem’s meaning. As we said above, poetry is rather mathematical in nature, and if you are actually curious about it, you can decipher its code.
Find Literary Devices
Poets use special tricks called literary devices. Metaphors and similes compare two unlike things. For example, “Her eyes were diamonds” is a metaphor. “Her eyes sparkled like diamonds” is a simile. For some reason, professors actually do care about the difference, so please, try to get this right.
Personification gives human qualities to nonhuman things. “The wind whispered” is personification. Alliteration is when nearby words start with the same sound. “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers” is a famous example.
Imagery creates pictures in your mind. When a poem makes you see, hear, smell, taste, or feel something, that’s imagery. When you write a poetry analysis essay, try to focus on it fully, at least briefly. Turn off music, don’t snack, don’t stream — it may sound a bit strange but without additional distractions you will feel the poem better and reflect it in your paper.
Write Your Poetry Analysis Essay
Now you’re ready to write. Start with an introduction. Tell the reader the name of the poem and the poet. Briefly say what the poem is about. In the body of your essay, discuss the elements you found. Use examples from the poem to support your ideas. Explain what you think these elements mean and why they’re important.
End with a conclusion. Sum up your main points about the poem. Share your overall thoughts on what the poem means and why it’s important.
This part is short because we believe you know how to write an essay in general. If you do enough preparation work that we described above, you will have zero problems dealing with this writing part, it will actually be the easiest one.
However, if you get stuck, just go back to your notes and try to rearrange them in the way that tells a story. It is much easier to fit a good story in the essay format, than turn rigid essay structure into a compelling story hiding behind a poem.
Extra Tips for Success
Always use examples from the poem. This shows you’ve read it carefully. Explain your ideas clearly. It’s okay to use simple words — don’t try to make your essay sound as if you are a professor yourself. The depth and originality of analysis matters much more. Try to avoid fluff and water. There are so many great points that need to be covered that there is actually no need for fillers!
Before you submit your essay, read it over. Check for spelling and grammar mistakes. Make sure your ideas make sense. The best option is to give it a day to rest. When you read it the next day, or two days after, you will find parts to improve, rearrange or delete. It means that the best way is to start writing a poetry analysis essay in advance, so you have enough time for all the stages and proofreading.
Remember, poetry analysis is about your understanding. There are no wrong answers if you explain your thoughts well. With practice, you’ll get better at seeing the deeper meanings in poems.
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