How should you approach a piece of unseen poetry?

Being faced with a poem that you've never seen before can feel daunting; however, working through the poem methodically will enable you to effectively address the marking criteria, and respond to the question coherently. Before reading the poem, read the question! (two or three times, at least). Underline important information- this may relate to historical/ cultural context and may help you to understand the writer's tone and purpose for writing the poem. Next, read through the poem (slowly), don't annotate- attempt to understand what the writer is trying to convey, and the themes that are present (maybe love, loss, time). Doing this will help you to organise your points, particularly if you are comparing or contrasting to themes in another poem. Perhaps when reading through you noticed a rhyming scheme- how does this relate to the form and purpose of the poem. Looking at the poem, are the stanzas the same length, are some longer than others? How does this relate to what is happening in the poem? Now, with a highlighter, working through chronologically, pick out interesting language that you want to use to develop your point; look for authorial techniques in particular (similes, metaphors, alliteration etc.)- why not write these devices down next to the poem to remind yourself. Look at the structure- how is it important. How does the poem end; what does this make you think of the poem as a whole? Finally, organise what you've found before you start writing your essay, think of three or four points you want to make (relating them to historical/ cultural context), and how they are similar or differ from your points about the other poem (if required).