How do I analyse a poem?

Analysing poetry is something that some people find natural, but others struggle with. There are, however, a couple of simple steps you can follow to make the process easier and write very good poetry analyses. First, read the poem over twice or even three times, and then:1.      Look at the title, hen the first and last lines of the poem. How and why are they significant, what wording is used, do they differ in length or structure to other lines in the poem?2.      Look at the rhyme scheme is it regular or not? Is there a pattern? Does it break? If so, why do you think that is?3.      Pick a few key nouns from the poem – names, nouns which are repeated or potential symbols – along with the adjectives that describe them. Why are those nouns important? Why are those specific adjectives used? Wrap it up with a brief conclusion that summarises the arguments you've made.

BK
Answered by Berenika K. English tutor

1575 Views

See similar English IB tutors

Related English IB answers

All answers ▸

I am struggling with English: Language & Literature (HL) Paper 2. When I write practice papers, I never know how to structure my work to include the criterion A) knowledge of texts and contexts.


How do i best structure my English essay?


How can I improve my essay structure to achieve a more in-depth analysis?


What's a subjunctive?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning