Formal Analysis of a Poem
Title • •
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What is its relation to the poem? Is it a straightforward, simple title or does it have symbolic possibilities? Does it recall any allusions?
Epigraph (Introductory few lines, set apart from the the beginning of the the poem – often a literary uote that inspired the poem! • •
If any, what is its relevance to the poem as a whole? "f what allusions does the epigraph remind the reader?
#pea$er%&ersona Is there a spea$er%persona distinguishable from the poet? Who is the spea$er? • What is the spea$er li$e? • (Do not assume that because there is no character spea$ing the words of the poem that the voice is necessarily the poet's poet's own, and the the eperience necessarily part of the poet's personal history)! history)! •
#etting Is there a more or less definite location for the *action+ of the poem? If so, what is it li$e? • ow is the place appropriate for the action? • ow does the play develop theme? • What other literary significance does the play have? • Is there a specific time of occasion? • ("ften it's impossible to give a definite date – modern, for eamplesometimes you can be somewhat detailed about contet . wartime, /hristmas Eve, death of a cousin, etc)! ow is the time or occasion important to the poem? • Does the poem deal with past, present or future? "r a combination? • •
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What is the importance of history or the past in the poem?
0anguage Diction ow would you describe the diction (word choice%vocabulary! in the • poem? (traditional, formal, romantic, collouial, slang, harsh, etc) or a miture! Connotation and Denotation Denotation is the dictionary meaning – or meanings of a word) • /onnotations are overtones of a word, acuired by past history and • associations, and by the way and the circumstances in which the word has been used) The emotional sensitivity to the word often comes across due to contetual use)
Imagery and 1igurative 0anguage What $inds of images has the poem? (2eminder – a sense eperience need not be visual! What figurative language is employed? • What does the use of specific symbol(s! contribute to the poem? • Is there limited use of a symbol, or does a motif (pattern! evolve? • •
3llusions (2eferences to historical, literary, biblical situations, events, character, ideas etc) that are richly connotative words or symbols- allusions are a means of reinforcing the emotion or the ideas of one's own wor$ with the emotion or ideas of another wor$ or occasion- an allusion is capable of saying a great deal in a short space! • • •
Does the poet use allusion sin the poem? What are the important allusions, and what do they mean? What do these allusions contribute to the poem?
Tone (3ttitude of the poet towards the sub4ect, the audience, or the poet him%herself! Is the tone constant? 5arying? • Identify the tone, ta$ing into account its possible compleity6 for • eample- serious, solemn, humorous, moc$ing, satiric, reverent, profound, casual, playful, fanciful, clam, intense, ecited, ironic, bitter, formal, melodramatic, sentimental or a miture of several) Is the poem didactic? (&lacing more weight on teaching or preaching • than on poetry as eperience! &urpose (2eason for writing the poem! Enlightenment? Entertainment? "bservation? &rediction? Tribute? • Eulogy? Warning? "ther? #tructure, &attern, 1orm • •
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Does the poem have any obvious or ma4or divisions? If the divisions are not immediately apparent, upon close eamination does the poem fall naturally into parts? Is the poem written in stan7as? If so, does the stan7a pattern vary? Is it repeated? If the verse is rhymed, what is the basic pattern – is it consistent throughout the poem? Does the rhyme detract from the meaning? ow does the metre support the meaning? Does the poem have a specific shape?
"ther Techniues • • • •
3necdotes Deliberate lac$ of logical transitions Withheld identification of place or event 3 type of poetic in.4o$e
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0ists of words, phrases 8ro$en rhythm or rhyme 8eginning with a uestion, followed with an answer
Interpretation and 3nalysis ("verall meaning and theme! •
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Wor$ out a consistent interpretation of the poem, ma$ing as much sense of it as you can If you cannot grasp each line or part to your satisfaction, at least try to come to some understanding of the poem as a whole) The poem is meant to be an eperience, not a statement such as you would find in discursive prose) Identify the *#"9ETI:;+ that is conveyed to you Don't forget the idea that it is *ow+ the poem means that is essential
