HOW TO TALK ABOUT A POEM

Learning how to talk about poetry and being able to interpret what poems
mean is not the easiest thing in the world to do. When discussing a poem
two areas must be considered: meaning and mechanics.

• Meaning
• Mechanics

First, consider the meaning of the poem.

1. Paraphrase all the portions of the poem.

2. Sum up the poem--either line by line or stanza by stanza.
3. Is there symbolism used in the poem? (If there is symbolism,
understanding it is the key to understanding the poem.)
4. Is the poem lyric or narrative?

To paraphrase the poem:

1. Look at the title. What significance does the title have in connection
with the meaning of the poem?
2. Read the poem as a whole.
3. Read the poem stanza by stanza (if appropriate.)
4. Paraphrase the poem line by line.
5. Break the lines down word by word if necessary. Substitute unfamiliar
words with ones you use every day.

Helpful Hints!

1. Consider punctuation--a period signals the end of a thought, no matter

where it is located in a line.
2. Rewrite sentences in the usual word order if the sentences are arranged
in an unfamiliar word order.

Second, consider the mechanics of the poem.

1. Is the poem traditional with rhyme and rhythm? Or is the poem free
verse with no set rhythm pattern or rhyme scheme?
2. How is the poem organised? Does the shape of the poem have anything
to do with the meaning?
3. What poetic devices are used?
(These listed are most common.)

Simile A figure of speech that compares two unlike things, using the
words like or as.

1
Metaphor A figure of speech that compares two unlike things directly,
without the use of an intervening word.

Alliteration The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

Assonance The repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables.

Personification The assigning of human qualities to non-human things.

Onomatopoeia The use of words to initiate sounds. Ex--WHIZZ

Consonance The repetition of consonant sounds in stressed syllables.

Apostrophe The poet directly addresses an absent person or object or

idea.

4. What is the tone of the author?

5. What mood does the poem create?

Definitions

Paraphrase - Restatement in different/other words. •

Précis - Concise Summary.

Symbolism - The use of an object to represent an idea.

Lyric - Poems with a song-like quality that are usually short. The poet
expresses his personal reaction to things.

Narrative - Poems that tell a story and are usually long. An example
would be an epic or a ballad.

Mood - The overall feeling a poem awakens in the reader.

Tone - The writer's attitude towards his/her work.