Poems show that human language can work like a rabbit hole – you can literally fall down in the deepness of interpretations that arise in your head. The words connect in an unobvious manner, complying with the specific form of expression. That is why it is easy to get confused and lost when you try to analyze a piece like that. To help you unpack the treasures of poetry, we have composed this guide. Read on and learn how to interpret poems easily!

Step #1: Read the poem carefully

Read the poem to yourself, then read it aloud at least twice. You can also find videos and audios of someone reading the poem. Think about your first impressions of the piece and write down a couple of rough instant ideas. Pay attention to the rhythm and structure of the poem. What does the length of the lines represent? Should you read them slowly or fast? Why?

Step #2: The title of the poem

Titles of the poems usually provide the main idea of the piece. They can represent the essence literally or mean something opposite. Likewise, the title can be metaphoric. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What does the title describe? Is it a setting, action, affect, or anything else?
• Does the title change the meaning of the poem anyhow?
• Does the title provide new interpretations?

Start your analysis with the thought of the title and explain how it works with the text as a whole.

Step #3: Think about the author

The author is a person behind the lines, and you should consider him/her when analyzing the poem. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Who is the speaker? Is it an author himself or a character?
• Can you tell anything about the speaker’s worldview, personality, or emotional state?
• Is the author attached or detached from his/her words?
• Who is the addressee of these words?

Considering the author behind the text is crucial when you analyze any type of literary piece, be it a poem or a novel. Always remember that the author is a real person, and he/she has ideas, aims, and reasons to write his/her text.

Step #4: Consider tone and mood

The author tries to convey a mood or attitude when writing a poem. Some are cheerful and elevated, while the others are sad and grieving. Also, the atmosphere and tone may change throughout a poem, and you should include this in your analysis as well. Think about the words, their meanings in the context, and describe the effect they have on the reader.

Step #5: Discuss the theme

The theme is the core of the poem. In general, it is the main idea the author was trying to reveal. Theme analysis should be the most extensive part of your interpretation since this is the heart of the piece. Mostly, themes are pretty global, and they relate to universal concepts like truth, life, love, death, conflicts, and other issues. You have already done a considerable part of the analysis, so come back and reread what you have already best write my essay review. Then connect all the aspects into one whole. To do this, you should answer the following questions:

• Who is the speaker, and what are his/her main ideas?
• What is the central subject of the piece?
• What is the situation the author (or character) is trying to deal with?
• What are the questions that bother the author, and how do they relate to the audience?
• How does the author feel about the main subject of his/her text?

Now you know how to create winning poetry analysis! Follow these steps and keep them in mind every time you need to compose one. And, by the way, don’t forget to check your paper for mistakes and plagiarism before you submit it! Papertyper
will help you do this automatically.