Many students are expected to write a literary essay based on an appreciation of poetry. For the task to be enjoyable, we need to define poetry. What is poetry? Edmund Clarence Stedman said the following: “Poetry is a rhythmic and imaginative language that expresses the invention, taste, thought, passion and perception of the human soul.”
Poetry is the creativity of a person’s imagination. Like any other literary work, it needs to be understood to be appreciated. The writer writes for a reason. Its purpose can be to evoke emotion, to inform, to define, to represent something of the world or of life, to entertain… In any case, a poem is exclusive to its author. And each poem can be analyzed to be appreciated. Here are some general ideas to help you understand the poem you are reading:
- Theme: Try to outline the theme of the poem. You have to look at what is described. It can be a place, an event, a person, a situation, or an experience. What does the poet want you to focus on, the poem or each stanza?
- Theme: Once you have identified the theme of the poem, try to figure out what the poet wants to tell you. Look at the following: the poet’s message; the purpose of it; ideas that he is transmitting; title; and the type of poem (ie, sonnet, ballad, lyrical, reflective, monologue, elegy, narrative, descriptive, a combination of different types). Always remember that sentiment and tone go hand in hand with subject and theme.
- Structure: The form of the poem is very important. By now you should know what kind of poem you are dealing with: for example, ballad, epic, ode, sonnet, dramatic monologue, elegy, etc. Discuss your understanding of the poem’s structure in the essay.
- Rhythm: Look at the flow of the poem through the line patterns. Are they regular or irregular? If they are regular, does the meter stay the same throughout the poem? (Meter: pattern of rhythmic beats per line; stressed and unstressed words that form the rhythm of the poem, indicating pace, eg slow or fast.) If there are changes in meter, analyze where the changes are. Try to find the reason for the change. What effect does this change have on the poem?
- Rhyme: Does the poem have a set outline? It has the poet written in free verse, blank verse; Does he use pair rhymes, cross rhymes, or broken rhymes? Do you use mid rhyme, close rhyme, middle rhyme, or end rhyme? Does the poet emphasize the words or the message through the rhyme scheme? What is the purpose and effect of the rhyme scheme? Pauses and punctuation have an effect on the structure, rhythm, and rhyme of a poem.
- Images: There are several ways to paint a picture in the reader’s mind through the use of words. Look at the figurative and sound resources used in the poem. Are the images visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile, olfactory, or gustatory?
- Diction: The words used and the way they are placed can increase the power of the poet’s creativity. Remember inversion, hyperbole, euphemism, irony, sarcasm, rhetorical questions, and other poetic techniques that can make sense of the poem. When you are writing your essay, you only need to mention images, figurative and sound devices, as well as diction; it is not necessary to explain why the poet has used the technique or whether or not it is effective.
- Overall Impression: Give your opinion about the poem in general and what effect it has had on you. Do you like me or not? Remember to use quotation marks when you are quoting the poem.
As you read and appreciate more poetry, you will find that the study of poetry is educationally rewarding. Once you begin to understand the poems, you will be enriched in many ways. Poetry enhances character. Keep trying. Success lies first of all in the love of literature, and then lies in the understanding and interpretation of the texts.