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How to Read a Poem
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How to Read a Poem
You must be Sherlock putting a mystery puzzle together!
Reading Poetry
Why bother?
Poetry is ____________________.
a. dumb
b. cheesey
c. confusing
d. hard
e. beautiful
f. all of the above
Why bother?
Poetry is ____________________.
a. dumb
b. cheesey
c. confusing
d. hard
e. beautiful
f. all of the above
Depending on the poem--
Depending on the poem--
Some are easy, some are challenging
Some belong on a bad greeting card...
Depending on the poem--
Some are easy, some are challenging
Some belong on a bad greeting card...
But some poems are spectacular
and can change the way you look at the world.
Different Perspective
Think about it like this:
Poetry = Songs
Do you like every song you hear?
If you think you don't like any song or poem, you probably haven't been paying attention.
Some songs are bad...
And I was like baby, baby, baby oh
Like baby, baby, baby no
Like baby, baby, baby oh
I thought you'd always be mine (mine)
Baby, baby, baby oh
Like baby, baby, baby no
Like baby, baby, baby ooh
I thought you'd always be mine
But some are truly amazing.
But some are truly amazing.
Some songs can change you.
Poetry has the same power.
But that's not all!
Poems are nice because they are small.
In just 15 minutes or so you can chew on a small nugget of awesomeness and have a complete literary experience.
Don't have a month to read through a long novel?
Steps
Analyze the Pieces
to Make Meaning
Metaphor
Structure
"...what dreams may come/ When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,/ Must give us pause."
Shakespearean Soliloquy:
-Personal, deep insights.
-Offers the audience a view into the character's mind and soul.
Make Connections
Metaphor
Structure
Oh, I see, The speaker is questioning life and their existence in it.
Starting
with
Initial Steps
Step #1
Step #2
Step #4
Step #3
Show No Fear!
Unfamiliar words
Read through the poem and circle END punctuation. (.!?)
Look up any words you don't know.
Don't be afraid of feeling confused or lost.
You probably won't understand it immediately.
Read the Title:
Then stop!
Based solely on the title what do you think it will be about?
Tip: Read sentence by sentence, rather than line by line!
It's okay if you don't fully understand at this point. Just read to get the general idea, the gist of what the poem might mean.
The Main
of It
Annotation
Take notes on the poem itself
Step #7
Step #5
Figure out the Structure
Identify the Speaker
What do you know about the speaker?
What Tone are they speaking with?
Does the speaker impact the meaning of the poem?
What is interesting about:
-rhyme scheme?
-the physical layout of the poem?
--Indents. Shapes. Line breaks. Spacing.
Do these elements add to message or theme?
Step #8
Step #6
Find the Figurative Language
Notice Shifts or Changes
Figurative language is language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation.
Metaphor Simile Personification
Does the narrator use a hinge word like but, however, therefore, now? Pay attention to what thought comes right after that.
Is there is shift in
tone?
pacing?
What affect does figurative language have on the meaning of the poem?
And Finally
Step #9
Read the poem again and again and again.
What new meaning or insight do you now have?
You did it!