HOW TO UNDERSTAND POEMS

Getting all of the meaning out of a poem can be a challenge. Here is a process I suggest to all the bloggers. Perhaps it will help you. 1. Read the poem (aloud if possible) a couple of times to get an overall feeling for its tone (is it sad, happy, enthusiastic, nostalgic? Think of a person's "tone of voice") and who is speaking in the poem. It is not always the poet speaking in his/her own voice. Sometimes a poet, like a fiction writer, will create characters). Highlight or circle any words or phrases you do not understand, but at this point do not let them hinder you. When you read, read according to punctuation, do not simply pause at the line breaks. Sometimes poets break their lines in certain places for visual impact or irony. 2. Look up the words you do not know. Some of them may be vocabulary that you can look up in a dictionary, but there also may be place names or names of famous people or mythological/literary characters, and so on that you will have to look up in an encyclopedia. If you can, jot the definitions or notes about these words and phrases in the margin of the poem, so you can easily remember them. 3. Now read the poem aloud several more times. With your new knowledge, perhaps you will find that the poem makes more sense. This may be the time when writing the poem into your own words will help you clarify understanding, but be aware that sometimes paraphrasing does not help, and at other times it can actually rob the poem of its beauty. 4. Now look closely at: imagery, diction, tone, structure, point-of-view, and allusions. (Do you know what all these terms mean in poetry? If not, ask your teacher or look them up in your textbook or dictionary.) Remember that everything in a poem is there on purpose, and is intended to expand the meaning and beauty of the poem. How do the imagery, diction, tone, structure, point-of-view and allusions ADD TO, or help reinforce the meaning? If you are very ambitious, you can also check your library for reference books on poetry that might give you insight into the poet or the circumstances surrounding the poem. But remember, a great poem stands by itself. An understanding of these external influences can simply expand your appreciation. Sometimes you can even find critical analyses of the poem. But again, realize that the best way to understand and appreciate a poem is to experience it, and that may mean reading it and rereading it, grappling with its ambiguities, and so forth. Here are some reference books that your library might have: Poetry Criticism Critical Survey of Poetry Masterplots Poetry Series Research Guide to Biography and Criticism