What approach should I take when first seeing an unfamiliar poem?

The first thing to look at is the title. This is often discounted by students, but especially since the poem might be a relatively short text, it is important to utilise any helpful content. Think about what relation a title might bear to a poem. Is it descriptive of the poem's content? For example, Carol Ann Duffy's poem 'Hour' is about an hour in the speaker's life. Does it instead provide an ironic or humorous contrast to the poem? Does it draw attention to a specific word or theme in the poem? What expectations does it give the reader going in? Secondly, you can look for obvious literary techniques which donot require a deep understanding of the poem. This will help reassure you thatyou will have something to write, and provide you with building blocks forstructured and detailed analysis once you have comprehended the poem's meaning.Rhyme and repetition are good places to start. What is the rhyme scheme? Do yourecognise the form - is it a sonnet, perhaps? How long are the stanzas? It isworth learning your couplets, triplets, quatrains, etc.. Metaphors and similesare also easy to spot; just look for things being described as things theyaren't. Keep what you've learnt in mind as you read the poem. What meaning dothese techniques contribute to, or tease out of, the poem?