1. The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Poetry
Poetry Analysis 101
The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Poetry

2. Where do I start?
To really understand a poem you need to read it 3 times.
1st to just read it through
2nd to analyze structure (rhyme scheme, meter, figurative language, etc.)
3rd to analyze meaning
Let’s start with an easy one

3. Reading 1
Just read the poem and absorb the language. Enjoy the imagery and the rhythm of the words.
Close your eye if you want to—I’ll read it to you 

4. “Music” by Percy Bysshe Shelly
Music, when soft voices die, Vibrates in the memory; Odours, when sweet violets sicken, Live within the sense they quicken. Rose leaves, when the rose is dead, Are heap'd for the beloved's bed; And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone, Love itself shall slumber on.

5. Reading 2 Now let’s look at the form of this poem
Music, when soft voices die, Vibrates in the memory; Odours, when sweet violets sicken, Live within the sense they quicken.
Rose leaves, when the rose is dead, Are heap'd for the beloved's bed; And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone, Love itself shall slumber on.
What is the rhyme scheme?
What does this rhyme scheme tell you?
Any words you don’t know?
Any personification?
Any metaphors?
Similes?

6. Reading 3 What kinds of questions do I ask?
Remember, everything in poetry is done for a purpose, so you have to be constantly asking “WHY?” and “WHAT?”
Why did he say this?
What is this supposed to mean?
What does this represent?
What is the overall point?

7. Reading 3
When a song is over, you still remember it the sound
Music, when soft voices die, Vibrates in the memory; Odours, when sweet violets sicken, Live within the sense they quicken.
Rose leaves, when the rose is dead, Are heap'd for the beloved's bed; And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone, Love itself shall slumber on.
When a smell is gone, you can still remember the scent
When a rose dies the petals can be used on the bed(coffin). You remember the love that the rose represents.
I don’t actually know this, but it makes sense, think of how people spread flower petals now as a romantic thing, dead petals are the opposite of that.
And when you (my love) die, and your thoughts are gone, my love for you will live on, and be a remembrance of you
A big part of analyzing poetry is realizing that there isn’t a right or wrong, it’s all about saying your opinion and telling why it’s right. If you think it’s right, then it can be!

8. Descriptive Language
One important thing to think about when analyzing poetry is the descriptive language.
Picking particular adjectives and adverbs make a huge difference in the meaning of the poem

9. Insert your own adjectives
Using this simple poetic stanza, put in whatever descriptive words to have it make sense.
The sun rises and I have _________ thoughts.
My eyes ________ open, the ______ inside me growing.
________, I step towards the day, knowing
I am _______, I am ________, that’s what this day has brought.
See how important descriptive language can be?

10. “She Walks in Beauty” By: Lord George Gordon Byron
She walks in beauty like the night
of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes
Thus mellow’d to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair’d the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling place.
And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tells of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

11. Reading 2 What is the rhyme scheme? Any figurative language?
She walks in beauty like the night
of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes
Thus mellow’d to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair’d the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling place.
And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tells of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
She walks in beauty like the night
of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes
Thus mellow’d to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair’d the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling place.
And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tells of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
What is the rhyme scheme?
Any figurative language?
Let’s look at the descriptive language.
Look at all the highlighted words, those words create the mood and tone of the poem.
Imagine if he had used other adjectives, it would have a completely different feel.

12. Reading 3 What is happening in the poem?
She walks in beauty like the night
of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes
Thus mellow’d to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair’d the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling place.
And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tells of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
What is happening in the poem?
What is the author describing?
What happened?
How does he feel?
Are there any words you don’t know?
What is the mood?
What is he trying to express?
Is he successful?

13. “Mother to Son” By: Langston Hughes
Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. So, boy, don't you turn back. Don't you set down on the steps. 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. Don't you fall now— For I'se still goin', honey, I'se still climbin', And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

14. Analysis….
What does the voice of the narrator tell you?
Who is she?
What has her life been like?
Where is she from?
Remember the narrator and the author are usually not the same person.
Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. So, boy, don't you turn back. Don't you set down on the steps. 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. Don't you fall now— For I'se still goin', honey, I'se still climbin', And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
Who is she talking to?
Who ELSE is she talking to?
Which words stick out to you as important?
Important words are ones that tell you a lot very simply

15. Read Aloud
Poetry is best when heard out loud. It’s an art form that is easiest to understand when you hear it.
Each person reads a poem differently, so we, the audience, can see a little bit of their personality in the poem, which affects how we understand it.
The human soul is in the writing of poetry, but the soul of the poem can’t be let out, unless a person is there to do it.

16. Read Aloud Each person in the class has the same poem as someone else.
Study it, get familiar with the language.
Each pair will read their poems
This is not a competition, this is just to see how your different personalities and interpretations change the meaning of the poem.
Put some effort in! You won’t be funny by reading it robotically or monotone on purpose.

17. Read Aloud Continued
Now that you have read your poems aloud, you will work with your poem partner to analyze your poem by writing one well-developed paragraph.
BUT
How do you do that?

18. Writing an Analysis Things to remember
Poetry is subjective, meaning each person brings their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences to it
There is NO right answer to analyzing poetry, if you feel it, it can be right
You do have to EXPLAIN your feelings and connect them to the writing, it can’t just be random stuff
To write about poetry you have to have a reaction and talk about it.
Everyone can do it!

19. Sample Analysis Now let’s combine my ideas into a cohesive paragraph!
Music: by Percy Bysshe Shelly Music, when soft voices die, Vibrates in the memory; Odours, when sweet violets sicken, Live within the sense they quicken. Rose leaves, when the rose is dead, Are heap'd for the beloved's bed; And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone, Love itself shall slumber on.
The rhyming couplets connect each set of lines together; they also create focus of each idea.
The sensory images (sound, smell, sight) create a flow to the poem and then in the final couplet where it goes to the mind, the ideas have already circled that.
The overall meaning says that as long as you remember someone in your heart, they will be a part of your life forever.
Now let’s combine my ideas into a cohesive paragraph!
My goal is to discuss the couplets, the sensory images and the overall meaning.

20. Final Paragraph
Always say the title and the author’s full name!
In his poem “Music” author Percy Bysshe Shelly connects the sound of music to the loss of a great love. Throughout the poem he uses rhyming couplets to connect lines of ideas to finally come to his conclusion that love, much like things felt by the other senses, is a part of our memory and as long as we keep it a part of us, it can’t fade away. He talks about how we remember the sound of beautiful music, how we remember the scent of flowers, and how the same flowers can show us love and death together. Finally, he concludes that just like the scent of the flower, the feelings of love he has can never be lost as long as he remembers them vividly in his heart.
Note: I don’t say “I think” or “I feel,” I don’t even have to say anything about the fact that it is my opinion. My interpretation of what Shelley is saying shows my opinion. You just state your interpretation as if it’s the only one there could be. If you were to read this, without knowing I wrote it, you might think that this was TRUE, but really it’s just MY educated analysis. Everyone is capable of doing the same thing…with a little practice of course 

21. Your turn!
Now, working with your Read Aloud Poem Partner you are going to analyze your poem.
Ask the kind of questions we practiced about form, meaning, and imagery.
Use your answers to these questions to write an in-depth paragraph of analysis.