1. How to Write a Poem Analysis Essay

2. What is analysis?  Use this method to respond to complex matters.  Separate parts to understand the whole. Look for… 1. ideas that connect 2. significant patterns 3. relationships between the parts to the whole

3. The Prompt In a well-written an essay, analyze how the literary techniques in the poem contribute to the poem’s meaning. In other words, what is the poem saying, and what literary elements---figurative language, structure, diction, rhyme, etc.--- does the poet use to develop the message?

4. Essential Analysis Questions  What purpose does this poetic/literary device serve?  How does the author communicate his or her purpose through this device?  Why and how do readers have this response to the poetic device?

5. Before You Write Choose one poem to write about. Make sure you have all of the notes you need. Re-read the poem and write down additional comments. Choose three literary devices you are going to discuss in your essay.

6. Essay Tips 1. Your essay must have a central idea (stated in your thesis) that governs its development. 2. Your essay must be organized so that every part contributes something to the reader’s understanding of the central idea. 3. Assume that your reader is NOT familiar with the author or poem. 4. Tell your reader what the poem is about (not what happens, but what the happenings add up to). 5. Write in third person!!!

7. Essay Outline 1. Introduction (Background Info and Thesis) 2. Body Paragraph One (First Poetic Device) 3. Body Paragraph Two (Second Poetic Device) 4. Body Paragraph Three (Third Poetic Device) 5. Conclusion (Review of Main Points and So What? Factor)

8. Introduction  Thematic Hook  Brief Summary – Write three to five sentences that provide background information about your poem (What is the poem about? When was it written?). Include the title and author of the poem.  Thesis Statement – Identify the literary elements to be analyzed and the direction of the analysis (what message the poem is sending).

9. Thesis Statement *The thesis statement tells your reader what to expect. It is a restricted, precisely worded declarative sentence that states the purpose of your essay (the point you are trying to make). Basic Thesis Statement Format: (Insert author’s name) uses _______, _______, and _______, (insert three different poetic devices) in (insert name of “poem”) to (illustrate, convey, reveal, or another verb) (insert the main idea or purpose of the poem).

10. Example Thesis Statement William Cullen Bryant uses personification, colorful imagery, and metaphors in “Thanatopsis” to discuss how nature mitigates one’s fears about death. Note: Use the author’s full name in the introduction, and then use the author’s last name for the rest of the essay.

11. “Solace” by Dorothy Parker “Solace,” by Dorothy Parker is a short poem about a character who encounters circumstances of a dreadful nature. The narrator witnesses three incidents in which a life is shattered, and in each case, she is told that the loss is not so terrible because many more of those lives exist. With the author’s specific use of diction, structure, parallelism, irony, and symbolism, the poem emerges into a metaphorical tale about the coldness and negligence, rather than sympathy and consolation, many people display during a great misfortune.

12. Body Paragraph  TOPIC SENTENCE: Begin each body paragraph with a clear, focused topic sentence.  Discuss ONE poetic device per body paragraph  SUPPORT: Support your topic sentence with AT LEAST TWO examples from the poem.  COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS: Explain how the device supports the poem’s meaning.

13. Body Paragraph  Topic Sentence  First Supporting Quote (TLQ)  Commentary/Analysis  Second Supporting Quote (TLQ)  Commentary/Analysis  [Additional supporting quotes as needed]  Transition/Wrap Up Sentence

14. TLQ: Transition, Lead-in, Quote In literary analysis, it is essential to cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support your analysis.  Transition – Use a transition word or phrase when including a quote from the text in your writing. Be sure to choose a transition that makes sense in the context of your argument.  Lead-in – Provide the context of the quote to prepare the reader for the textual evidence. Include in your lead-in the speaker and the situation.  Quote – Write the quote exactly as it appears in the text. If you must change a word in the quote, be sure to include brackets [__] around the word you changed. Include the page (or line number, in poetry) in parenthesis following the quote. Examples:  However, after being honored by King Duncan, Macbeth wrestles with his desire to murder the king, “Let not light see my black and deep desires” (51).  In addition, while spending Christmas at Finch’s Landing, Francis tells Scout that Atticus is “ruinin’ the family” (87).

15. Shapiro uses similes and metaphors to emphasize the fantasy-like and wild setting of the auto wreck. He describes the light as “Pulsing out…like an artery” (line 3), contrasting the red light emitted from an ambulance to the blood of an artery. The idea that a light is spurted out like blood is abstract and bizarre. In addition to that simile, Shapiro describes the wreckage as “Empty husks” (line 34), locust-like in the devastation they cause. This depiction of the auto wreck is extravagant and almost unreal. Using figurative language, Shapiro reinforces the theme of death as being bizarre and perplexing.

16. Using parallelism and irony, Parker creates a solemn mood and emphasizes the theme of the poem. The author uses a series of lines in the poem that are parallel in structure and thought: “a rose that faded young,” (line 1), “a bird, brought down to die,” (line 7), and “a girl, whose lover fled” (line 10). In each instance, something or someone dies, and is remembered and missed by only the narrator. Moreover, the word “solace” in the title means relief from grief or anguish. It is ironic that the content of the poem is anything but comforting. The poet makes flippant, nonchalant comments: “What need to care...?” (line 4). The irony in these remarks is the lack of consolation implied by the title. Another irony in this poem is the apathy that is displayed. Usually, when something dies or is lost, depression and sorrow take over, but in “Solace,” the narrator faces indifferent attitudes. Parker conveys a sense of grief in her work not only by mentioning death, but also by using “I” in contrast to “them” time after time. For example, in line 6 she states, “I did not answer them.” It seems from these techniques that the solitary character is fighting a battle against the rest of the world.

17. Conclusion  Restate your main points.  Explain why you think the author felt the topic discussed in the poem was important.  Explain how the topic/main idea of the poem relates to the outside world.

18. Dorothy Parker uses her poetic skill to create a sense of hopelessness in conflict with the need to be comforted and consoled. Parker’s poetic mastery leads the reader to understand that the world can be a cold and unfeeling place and that solace must come from within.