How do I analyse unseen poetry in a timed exam?

Analysing a poem you have never seen before can be quite a daunting task and you may struggle with knowing where to begin or deciphering what the poem really means. Below is a helpful acronym you can use and tick off when you analyse a piece of poetry for an exam, calming your nerves and preparing you to tackle anything that comes up. This acronym offers a useful basis for your understanding of the poem and can also give structure to your essay response. It will hopefully transform the unseen poetry task into something fun and easy. SMILE stands for... Structure, Meaning, Imagery, Language and Effect. As you read through a poem, think about these five components and use them as excellent starting points for your analysis and response to the poem. For example: the STRUCTURE of the poem is in five stanzas; the rhyme scheme is ABAB; narrated by an adult son; begins describing the seasons of spring, moves to a childhood memory, and then ends with the adult son returning to the present moment in a chair in front of a fire. The IMAGERY of the poem is predominantly of flowers, nature, heat/warmth and the countryside. Go through the other three components as you plan the essay; the poem's message will become clearer and you will have a good foundation of ideas to start writing your essay response.