1. Tips for Reading Poetry Get ready to take notes!!!

2. Tip #1 Decide what the poem might be about based on the title.

3. Tip #2 Read the poem aloud several times. Listen carefully to the sounds of the words. Think about how the words and the sounds of the poem work together.

4. Tip #3 Try to imagine the objects, actions or scenes the poet is describing. Form a picture in your mind, if possible.

5. Tip #4 Be aware of punctuation. The end of the line doesn’t always mean the end of a sentence. If there’s no period, read on to the next line without a pause. If the line ends in a comma, pause briefly before going on.

6. Tip #5 Look at the form, or shape, of the poem. Decide if the way the poem looks adds anything to its meaning. Is it written in the specific shape of something???

7. Tip #6 Check to see if the poet uses capitalization, punctuation, or spelling in special ways. If so, what does it add to the meaning of the poem?

8. Tip #7 Based on the details of the poem, try to find the poet’s purpose or message. Some poets write to share their ideas or feelings about life. Others simply write to entertain.

9. As you read the following poem, see how one reader used the “think-along” method with this poem. The “think-along” method means that the reader is writing down their thoughts as they are reading the poem.

11. Some poems have a definite rhythm pattern, or beat. The lines may rhyme and most of the lines are basically the same length. Look at the following traditional poem: Mary had a little lamb Its fleece was white as snow. And everywhere that Mary went The lamb was sure to go. This traditional poem has rhyming words, rhythm and each line is about the same length.

12. However, not all poetry is traditional. Free verse poetry does not always contain a regular rhyme or rhythm. The length of the lines often depends on the message the poet is trying to get across to the reader.

13. The arrangement of lines and words, the punctuation, and the number of stanzas, or verses, make up the poem’s form. You can tell what a poem’s form is simply by noticing how the poem appears on the page.

14. As you read the poem, “Foul Shot” try to keep in mind the tips we just talked about. Make sure you write down your reactions in the “Think- Along” column. Pay close attention to the form of the poem. How do you think it is related to the poem??