The best way to think about poetry is to liken it to song lyrics. Indeed many song lyrics started out life as poetry before the music added to or changed their meaning. Some poems like the Man from Snowy River tell a story or describe an event, others like Shakespeare's sonnets attempt to explain and describe emotions and feelings. The following eight steps should assist you in better understanding any poem. After you have looked at the steps have a go with the poem your teacher has set or the two we have used as examples. Remember that all the information for these poems we found on the net which means it is likely that you can find similar resources for your own poem if you do a little googling!
Step one:
Read a poem aloud more than once. Listen to the sound of it, like music
If you don't understand individual words look them up here: |
Step two:
Research a little about the author. When did he/she write and under what circumstances? That may help you appreciate the origin of the poem.
Wikipedia is a good basic start: |
Step three:
Ask yourself what is the overall feeling of the poem? Does it make you feel sad, happy mad, anxious excited? Then try to identify which words make you feel this way.
It could help to hear someone else read it. You Tube is great for this. |
Step four:
What tools does the poet use to help convey meaning and emotion in such a small amount of words? You may need the poetry glossary to help you with this as you may not have come across these words before.
|