Analysing Poetry

Start with the speaker

The speaker is the voice we hear in the poem. The speaker is not automatically the same person as the poet.

Ask who seems to be speaking, who they may be addressing and what situation the poem presents.

Look for patterns

Repeated words, images, contrasts, sounds or ideas often point towards what matters most in the poem.

Patterns are usually more useful than isolated details because they show what the poem keeps returning to.

Form contributes to meaning

Line breaks, stanza structure, repetition, rhythm and punctuation affect how the poem moves and where the reader pauses.

Do not assume that form has one fixed effect. Explain what the particular choice does in this particular poem.

Move from observation to interpretation

Observation: the word 'empty' appears several times.

Interpretation: the repetition may reinforce a sense of absence or loss.

Analysis becomes stronger when you explain the relationship between the technique and the meaning.

Invented lines

The station clock keeps counting / after everyone has gone.

A basic observation is that the image combines time with an empty place.

A stronger analysis might argue that the continuing clock makes time feel indifferent to the speaker's loneliness: the world keeps moving even when the speaker feels left behind.

1. Read once for the overall situation and mood.
2. Identify the speaker and possible audience.
3. Mark repeated words, images, contrasts and sounds.
4. Notice line breaks, stanza structure and punctuation.
5. Choose the details that seem most connected to the poem's main concerns.
6. Explain how those details shape meaning or tone.
7. Formulate a theme as an idea the poem explores, not just a single topic word.
8. Support your interpretation with specific evidence from the poem.

Technique spotting

Naming a metaphor or rhyme scheme is not enough. Explain what the choice contributes to the poem.

Confusing poet and speaker

A first-person voice may be fictional. Use 'the speaker' unless you have evidence that the poem is autobiographical.

One correct meaning

Poems can support more than one interpretation. A strong interpretation is one that can be justified with evidence.

• Separate the speaker from the poet.
• Look for patterns rather than isolated techniques.
• Connect form and language to meaning.
• Move from observation to interpretation.
• Support claims with evidence from the poem.