Ask yourself some of the following questions
while you are reading poetry:
What is the SUBJECT of the poem?
What is the THEME of the poem?
What is do you respond to it?
Is the poem DIVIDED into stanzas and why there?
Is there ENJAMBMENT
(the breaking of one line
to the next to keep the
poem flowing instead of one full sentence)? Why?
(The above sentence was an example of enjambment)!
Are there obvious CONTRASTS between the sections?
What purpose to you think the NARRATOR did this for?
How is LANGUAGE used?
Is it FORMAL, INFORMAL, COLLEGIAL?
What is the DIALECT of the voice?
Who is the SPEAKER of the poem?
The speaker is the ‘I’ of the poem and not
necessarily the author is the SPEAKER in high poetry.
What is his/her PUPOSE or problem?
How is the poem typical of its HISTORICAL period?
What tips you off?
This means are there clues hidden in the poem that speak of
POP CULTURE, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SITUATIONS, etc.
What is the METER: how effective is it?
Or ineffective?
TO WHOM is the poem addressed?
Do you note use of
ALLITERATION, CONSONANCE, ASSONANCE
in the poem?
What is its effect?
What kind of poem is it?
NARRATIVE, BALLAD, ELEGY,LYRIC, SONNET, ODE, etc.?
What tips you off?
Does the poem use:
IMAGERY
(the use of the five senses --
touch, see, taste, hear, smell --
to tap into your abstract feelings)?
SYMBOLISM
(one object to represent something else:
i.e. a bitten apple juxtoposed next to a woman
in a fig leaf becomes a symbol of
‘The Garden of Eden’)?
Does the poet use FREE VERSE?
Why this technique rather than a "set" form?
How is the FORM of the poem conducive/appropriate to its subject?
Does the poem have LINES of varying length?
What is the narrator achieving here?
Do any lines or words seem set apart?
Why?
Do YOU LIKE the poem?
Why or why not?
Are there any ALLUSIONS?
How do they function?
These are the questions I ask myself when I read someone else’s works.
I would also like to note that sometimes I do not
make a comment on the first
reading, I think that commenting
on a poem right away takes
away from enjoying and savouring it.
Sometimes it will take up to
three readings in which
I divide the process up in the
following internalization of the poem:
1. First Reading to hear the voice,
feel the language and
get a first feel of the poem
2. Second Reading to go deeper and see if I missed out something
in the first reading,
now I’m looking closely at
theme, rhythm, meter and balance
(also extra spelling and grammatical errors missed in first).
3. Third Reading to finally get into the poem and
feel what the writer has written
but from experiences and cultural
background, integrating theirs into
mine and to see if the words
really swept me away.
A NOTE ABOUT TITLES AND FIRST LINES:
that is what the reader
is going to be attracted to
right from the beginning --
a title that draws them into
and an opening image that will
grab them to go further.
That’s a good starting point.
I am posting these columns for the benefit of those who wish to follow my process of writing poetry, the techniques and questions I ask myself. I know there is a lot of information on this site already concerning these, but these are personal guidelines I have adapted throughout my writing career and now am comfortable critiquing poetry with these guidelines.
Adding your comment:
... but thanks for the advice. It is really useful, since I often find it hard to know what to say about a poem, so thanks. Will try to write better critiques in future!
