1. I will learn how to use different techniques to understand poetry
How to analyse poetry
I will learn how to use different techniques to understand poetry

2. According to Tsujimoto:
There are three characteristics of a poem
Subject,
Emotional impact
verbal strategies -> meaning
These lead to his three questions, which are the overarching questions we bring to analysis.

3. So the three questions to ask
What, to you is the poem about?
What is the poem’s impact on you?
What strategies in the poem allow you to give meanings to it?
When you are writing about poetry (ie in paragraphs) this is a good format to use.

4. Step Up
One way to break poetry analysis down into chunks to answer these three questions is to use the STEPUP method (there are other methods you can use, but they all use the same basic principles)

5. Step Up Subject Matter Theme Emotions Poetic Devices U (You) Purpose
Underlying content of the poem Message the poem conveys What emotional response does it invoke? Metaphors/Similes/Rhyme/etc. How are you meant to feel? Why was it written?

6. Have a look at what we did with ‘The Tyger’
We have already annotated the poem (CSI for Poetry), so we already know what “stuff” is in there. Now we need to use the STEPUP technique, which will help us to answer the “Three Questions” Now, trying writing a paragraph about ‘The Tyger’ (or another poem we have already studied), by answering the 3 questions.

7. Structure should be something like…
William Blake’s ‘The Tyger” is about…
The emotional impact of this poem is that…
To achieve this, Blake has…

8. Applying this to your panel discussion
First – annotate the poem (we have done this, and there is another example on Firefly
Next – Analyse using the STEPUP method
After that – Think about how to answer the “3 Questions”
Finally – use the answers to structure your responses.