Tips for Reading and Understanding Poetry

1. Read and Re-Read First, read the poem silently, taking in the format and language used. Next, read the poem again. This time read it out loud and listen for rhythm and sound devices in the poem. Later on, you may need to read the poem again as you look for a deeper meaning in it.

2. Read According to Punctuation Don’t pause at the end of every line when you read a poem. Instead, pause after a comma or a period, just like you would in prose. This will help you better understand complete thoughts in the poem.

3. SLOW DOWN! Reading a poem is not like reading a story. Often there is imaginative use of language and complex vocabulary that you will miss if you fly through the poem. Again, don’t get discouraged if you have to read the poem several times in order to understand it.

4. Talk to the Text Underline important words or phrases, put question marks by things you don’t understand, etc. Write down any thoughts or questions you have. Don’t be afraid to jot down any theories you have about what the poem might mean.

5. Use Your Imagination! Allow your senses and emotions to be affected by the power of the poem. Picture in your mind what is being described.

6. Note the Poem’s “Architecture” What does the poem look like? Note stanzas, line length, rhyme, and rhythm. Look for repeated words and phrases. Don’t forget to look at the poem’s title!

7. Note the Poem’s Speaker Remember that the speaker in the poem is not necessarily the author of the poem, even if the speaker says “I.” Look for clues that help you see things from the speaker’s perspective.

8. Paraphrase Summarize the poem in your own words. Stay on the “surface” of the poem at this point. Don’t look for meaning, just summarize what the poem actually says.

9. Think about the Theme Ask yourself “what is this poem about?” “What does it mean?” Find familiar words and phrases and explore the relationship among them. Look for repeated words or phrases that might be important. Ask yourself what else the poem says that has not been explored in the summary. Remember that a theme expresses a specific viewpoint about a topic.

10. Connect the poem to YOU! When all else fails, remember that what is most important about a poem is whatever YOU can take out of it. Identify a place where you can connect to the poem. This could be just a word, phrase, or line, or it could be the theme of the whole poem. All of these tips will help you get more out of poetry, but if a certain poem doesn’t speak to you, wait for the next one to come along…or write your own!

Let’s put these tips to work!