Things to Notice When Reading a Poem

Title What does the title suggest about the poem?

What do you expect the poem to be about?
Are your expectations fulfilled or not by the poem?
Speaker How is the speaker involved in the poem?
Is the speaker an omniscient narrator or casual observer?
Does the speaker refer to himself/ herself in the st person?
Is the speaker from an identifiable time period?
Tone How would you describe the tone of the poem?
Does the tone change as the poem progresses?
Is it consistent at the beginning and ending of the poem?
Rhythm Does the poem have a regular rhythm?
How many syllables are in each line? Does it follow a pattern?
What syllables are stressed and unstressed?
Repetition of
sounds
What repetitions of sound do you notice?

!ound repetitions include"
repetition of the consonant sound at the beginning of two or more words
#alliteration$
repetition of vowel sounds #assonance$
repetition of consonant sounds #consonance$
repetition of the last syllable in two or more words #rhyme % see below$

Does alliteration& assonance& or consonance enhance the rhythm and musicality
of the poem? In what way?
Rhyme Does the poem have any end'rhymes?
If so& is there any pattern to the rhymes?
Do any other words in the poem rhyme? When you read the poem aloud& do you
notice these rhymes?
Do you think the rhyming words are connected in some way other than sound?
Repetition of
words
Are any words repeated?
Do you think these words are significant?
If so& in what way?
Things to Notice When Reading a Poem
Organization
of lines
Are the lines of the poem approximately the same length?
Do they have the same number of syllables?
Are some lines longer and some shorter?
(an you think of any reason why there might be a difference in the lengths of the
lines?
Does the sense continue into the next line #en)ambment$ or does it end at the
end of the line #end'stopped$?
How does this affect your understanding of the poem?
Are there any pauses within a line& caused either by the rhythm of the poem or
by punctuation?
How do these pauses affect the poem?
Punctuation Does the poem have punctuation?
Does the poem use punctuation in an unexpected way?
How does the punctuation affect your understanding of the poem?
If there is no punctuation& can you think of any reason why the poet might have
chosen to not use punctuation?
Figurative
language
Does the poem compare something to another thing #metaphor or simile$?
Does the poem use a part of something to refer to the thing as a whole #e*g* +all
hands on deck, where +hands, stands in for sailors$? #synecdoche$
Does the poem refer to something by naming one of its attributes #e*g* +crown,
for +monarch,$? #metonymy$
se of
imagery
Are the images literal or figurative& abstract or concrete?
-ote that an image& in this sense of the word& does not necessarily mean a
mental picture* It may also refer to the perceptual senses #sight& smell& taste&
touch& sound$& or to abstract concepts& or to sense of movement*
What sensory experiences are evoked?
Are certain images repeated?
Sym!olism Do any images or ob)ects or actions represent an abstract idea?
Are any symbols repeated?
"m!iguity Are there any parts of the poem that might possibly mean more than one thing?
Is it possible to determine a single meaning from the context?
If not& how does the possibility of more than one meaning affect your
understanding of the poem?
#isual
$lements
Does the poem use shape in a noticeable way?
Does the poem use different typefaces or fonts?
Does the poem use fonts of differing si.es?
Does the poem use unusual characters?
How do these elements affect how you read the poem?