1. Reading, Interpreting, and Evaluating Poetry (Canadian- Style) Reading Read your poem aloud at least twice, trying to adhere to the punctuation. Jot down what feelings the poem evokes in each of you (what sensations, associations, and memories). Share these around the table. Discuss what general ideas the poem expresses, either directly or indirectly. (Write these down – even though you may change your mind later.) Discuss what you feel is the poet’s view of the world through his/her poem. (Write this down also.) Identify any unfamiliar words and write their meanings. Interpreting Interpreting involves 4 main things: observing, connecting, inferring, and concluding. Observe details of description and action, language and form. Look for connections among details and begin to establish a sense of the poem’s coherence. Based on these connections, make inferences or interpretative guesses about their significance Arrive at a conclusion about the poem’s meaning based on your observations, connections, and inferences.

2. Interpreting (continued) When interpreting a poem, ask the following questions: 1.What significant themes emerge? Does the poem deal with love, loss, death, war, etc. Are there particular Canadian themes? Are there historical events that are mentioned? 2.What kind of poem are you looking at? (genre) Is it an ode, sonnet, free verse, satire, etc. 3.Look at the poem’s versification (rhyme and meter). Is there an identifiable ryhme scheme? Is there a set number of syllables in each line? If it’s free verse, examine the line and stanza divisions. How do they contribute to the poem’s effectiveness? 4.Are there any literary devices/figures of speech that affect how you interpret the poem? (similes, metaphors, personification, irony, allusion, symbolism, etc.) Do not simply identify them: tell how they contribute to the poem’s overall meaning. Also examine diction (word choice) and its contribution.

3. Evaluating This involves 2 main things: 1.Judging – How good is it? How successfully did it realize its poetic intentions? 2.Significance – How significant was the poem for you personally? What significance may it have for other readers? Presenting Someone in the group should give a clear, practiced reading of the poem (this could also be a shared reading). Project a copy of the poem on the screen so that you can make clear and specific references with a marker. Divide your presentation evenly among all members. Be prepared for a question/answer period. * Sources Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Robert DiVanni 2002. Owl at Purdue. Writing about Poetry