How should I start analysing a poem?

Begin by reading the poem all the way through. How does it sound in your head? Listen for alliteration, assonance, dissonance. Where is it smooth and where is it jarring? Think about the stresses of the words. Can you hear a rhythm? If you can, look where the stresses fall. Is the rhythm consistent or is it broken up? Look at the lines. Are they regular or irregular? Do they end on full stops and commas, or do they run over into each other (enjambment)? Listen for rhyme, not just at the ends of the lines but within them. Are the rhymes whole rhymes or half rhymes? Is the rhyme scheme regular or disrupted? Look at the shape of the poem. How does it look on the page? Are there any sections which look or sound similar?

Now you have an impression of the sound and shape of the poem, think about the meaning. What do you think the poet is writing about? Does the sound and shape of the poem match the subject matter, or are they conflicting? Does this poem feel like any other poems you have read?