Poem Analysis Essay Guide: Outline, Template, Structure

Poems are a unique pathway to our souls and emotions. It takes the hard work of a skilled author to create one. As readers, we only realize this when tasked with an essay on poem analysis. Lectures in different academic levels assign students to this task. Students may find this task time-consuming and overwhelming. This is because poem analysis requires a deeper understanding, research, critical thinking, and creativity.

This article serves as your comprehensive guide on how to write a poem analysis essay. Through examples of analytical essay poems and insightful tips, we will guide you through every step of the process.

What is a Poem Analysis Essay?

An analysis involves a deeper evaluation of a topic or a subject, a poem analysis is not any different. It’s the deeper study and reflection on a poem to understand the overall creativity behind it. This study involves analyzing the literal devices used by the author, the themes, metaphors, rhythm, and imagery, and unveiling the hidden reason behind its creation.

It involves the following:

• Getting an understanding of the perspective of the author
• Providing a critical analysis of the poem.
• Examining the deeper meaning of the poem.
• Exploring the themes and the tone of the poem.
• Analyzing the subject of the poem.

Tips on how to choose a topic for a poem analysis essay

o   Consider a poem that impacts your emotions at a personal level.

o   Be at liberty to choose a poem from a poet that intrigues you.

o   Allow your personal experiences to inspire you.

o   Read through some more poems and pick one that interests you.

o   Consider who wrote the poem, their background experiences, and why.

o   Consider when and where the poem was written.

o   Choose a poem that aligns with your assignment requirements.

o   Consider a theme that resonates with you.

 

What to include in A Poem analysis essay outline

An outline of a poem analysis includes the following;

1. Introduction

The introduction of a poetry essay should;

• Provide the title of the poem and the authors name.
• Include the date the poem was published.
• Provide background information on the poem and the poet, you can include fascinating facts if any.

2. Body paragraphs

• Provide your analysis.
• Connect your ideas.
• Include quotations of the parts of the poem you are referencing/analyzing.
• Use clear tone and language.

 

3. Conclusion

• Provide a summary of your analysis: structure and main concepts of the poem.
• Convert your entire analysis to form and support the main idea.
• Give your final thoughts on the poem.
• Provide a platform for further thoughts and research for the reader.

 

How to write a poem analysis essay

 Reading your poem word by word silently is the first step of your writing process after selecting a topic. Proceed to then read your essay loudly, a poem is more lyrical, and some of the characteristics can only be identified when it is read out loud.  You can also consider listening to the verbal version if there is one. Below are insightful aspects to focus on while crafting a poem analysis essay;

 

1. The poem title

A deep study of the title will help you unearth the intentions of the author. This involves determining the relationship between your title and the contents of your poem to get a deep meaning of the poem and understand the theme, tone, and literal meaning behind the title and the poem as a whole. Consider the following while analyzing the title;

• Study the word choice of the poet.
• Consider the possibility of the title having a symbolic meaning.
• Study the link between the title and the contents of the poem, the theme, and the tone.
• Analyze the literal meaning of the title.
• Take a deeper look at the Author’s choice of words.

 

2. The background of the poem

A background analysis of a poem offers you a deeper understanding of the motivations and intentions of the author thus providing grounds for your essay on poem analysis. It involves researching when and where the poem was written, finding out the meaning of phrases used in the poem, and reflecting on the intentions of the poet. Also, examine the deeper meaning of symbolic phrases to get their real meaning from the author’s perspective.

 

3. Structural layout of the poem

Analyzing the structure of a poem is an essential part of your poem analysis essay. Below are a few elements to consider;

• The form of the poem. Under which category of poems does it fall: is it elegy, lyric, free verse, or Ode?
• Consider if the parts of the poem are linked to each other.
• Reflect on the emotional impact the poem has on you.
• Contemplate the format of the poem and what it speaks of the poet.
• Reflect on what each part of the poem talks about.
• How does the structure relate to the theme, tone, and contents of the poem?
• Reflect on how the lines of the stanzas affect the poem’s tone, rhythm, and the poems general effect.

 

4. The intonation and tone of the poem.

The tone and intonation of a poem help us determine the mood and the attitude of the poem. The tone and intonation of a poem are normally analyzed from the speaker’s view and the recipient’s view.

From a speaker’s view, consider answering the following questions concerning the poet;

• What was the mood of the poet when the poem was written?
• What message did the poet intend to convey?
• What is the symbolic meaning of the poem from the author’s perspective?
• Can you determine the mood of the poem?
• What is the persona of the poet and how is it different from the character presented?

From the recipient’s perspective consider the following;

• What are the poet’s intentions?
• Is the author communicating something or just expressing themselves?
• Who is the intended reader? who is the poet talking to?
• Is the poem based on a personal experience or a social setting?
• Does the author engage the audience to take further action?

 

5. Aim of the Poem

Analyzing the purpose of a poem simply involves, Examining the effect the poem has on you, and identifying themes and concepts conveyed in the poem. It is also important to formulate your understanding of the author’s intentions when the poem was written and whether the purpose was fulfilled.

 

6. Analyze the language and the imagery

This involves a deeper study of the poet’s application of literary devices, language, symbols, and imagery.

Imagery: this is the use of vivid descriptions to create an image in the mind of the reader. examine the use of imagery and the impact they have on the poem and the reader.

Poetic devices: Analyze techniques employed by the poet to boost the tone, theme, and meaning of the poem and the influence they have on the poem. For example, Metaphors: This is the art of comparing two unrelated things. For example, the celebration was a bomb

Symbols: examine the use of images or objects to present a deeper meaning of something or to represent something. For example, walking in hell could mean walking under scorching sun.

 

7. Music

Most poems are lyrical. Examine the author’s use of rhythm, tone, and patterns to enhance the musical impact of the poem on the reader.

 

You can also read How To Write An Essay Introduction which is one of our most important guides as it will help you write all sorts of essays throughout your coursework.

Poem Analysis template Introduction ·         An interesting hook ·         Background information ·         Main idea in the thesis statement Body paragraphs ·         Give an analysis of the poem structure. ·         Present the rhyme pattern of the poem ·         Provide the general meaning of the poem ·         State how the poem applies to real life. ·         Analyze the tone of the poem ·         Provide an analysis of poem devices Conclusion ·         Provide an overview of the main ideas. ·         Explain the emotional impact of the poem on you. ·         Combine your analysis to form one main idea. ·         Provide your final thoughts on the poem. ·         Provide the reader with closing thoughts and reflections on the poem

 

Tips on how to write a compelling Poem analysis essay

• Select a topic that resonates with your passion and interests.
• Conduct research and gather the information you need.
• Seek to understand the hidden meanings.
• Reflect on the poet’s background for inspiration and a deep understanding of the poem.
• Create an outline
• Revise and edit your essay.

Example of a Poem Analysis Essay

Art of Speech in Poetry: Analysis of William Shakespeare’s sonnet 18

The sonnet 18 is a poem about love, where the poet devotes the writing to comparing their beloved to a summer’s day. While it was written around the 1590s, Sonnet 18 remains a relevant poem to date. This ties to the fact that it touches on a timeless topic that resonates with each generation(Vendler,1994). The poem is emotional, embedded with the message of awe with a beloved one; a message that all audiences tend to identify with. The poem specifically depicts the familiar experience pertaining to falling in love. This is a universal experience that unites all humanity beyond geographical locations or historical timelines, seeing as audiences can discuss, question, and reflect upon it from a common point of view regardless of the externalities of space and time. The idea of comparing a beloved one to summer is indeed not confined to the contents of the sonnet, as such sentiments are shared even in the current context, among the young and the old alike. Besides, Sonnet 18 has evolved into what it is today owing to popular culture, thereby reinforcing its relevance now as was the case in the 16^th century.

In line with the old forms of popular culture, Shakespeare’s sonnet 18 applied cultural expressions adopted by the people to appeal to common folk. Moving into the 21^st century, Shakespeare’s works were ascribed a high culture status. His works however remained rooted in popular culture, as various local cultures got his works assimilated into their literature, music, and other forms of creative and artistic expressions (Koyippally, n.d.)

The aesthetics of the poem derive from the vivid imagery evoked in the wording. From reading the sonnet, the audience can decipher how Shakespeare interlinks the occurrence of beauty with that of immortality. ‘Shall I compare the to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate…’He confers that compared to summer which may be sometimes too hot, too cloudy with the sun’s golden complexion concealed, or too short, the beauty of the body   does not fade as it stays free from the unpleasant occurrences that summer may bring (Vendler, 1994). ‘But thy eternal summer shall not fade’. He complements his beloved’s beauty by making a realistic comparison to summer, thereby putting forward a vivid image to the reader about his feelings pertaining to his beloved (Poetry Foundation, 2023).

Besides, the sonnet provides some form of emotional arousal which further adds to its aesthetic appeal. The poem is mentally stimulating, and the fact that it bears a positive message of love reinforces its aesthetic appeal. While read in isolation, the words in the poem may be commonplace or too abstract to generate any significant impact. In this case however, the words generate warmth embedded in the whole in which they are part. They   are charged with emotion when read within the context, and this essentially adds to the overall aesthetic of the sonnet.

In connection to its aesthetics, Shakespeare in the sonnet 18, speaks of the sweeping subject of love. Something big and unforgettable, and one that gives a pleasurable feeling when one gets to experience it. While the details of it may be specific to the writer in line with his own unique experience, Shakespeare attempts to articulate those details in a manner both relatable and enjoyable to the reader. The emotion repeatedly conveyed to a beloved throughout the work brings out the beauty in the sonnet. Still, it is not possible to tell whether Shakespeare experienced in person, the occurrences he describes in the sonnet or whether he made it up as fiction. Besides, while the beloved is idealized and it is clear that Shakespeare conveys an obsession with the lover persona, the readers cannot tell who the beloved in the sonnet is, thereby adding some intrigue into the poem. The additional elements that can be argued to underline the poem’s aesthetics. Comprise the organization and repetition. For instance, although the words seem random, they are completely ordered. Shakespeare also applies repetition throughout the sonnet to stress upon the themes of beauty and love. Together therefore, the choice of the wording, the repetition, and the mystery from the refusal to identify the subject add to the overall pleasure in reading the poem.

In conclusion, the sonnet stands out as it compresses so much experience into a small space. It informs, delights and inspires in a simple yet meaningful way. The sonnet 18 is worth the fame it has attracted as it sets up the reader for elevated sentimentality by juggling convention with expectation. The application of imagery and metaphors in the sonnet conveys a complex emotion in a vivid yet simple manner. Additionally, owing to the short lines and basic structure, it provides an opener for those who may intend to cultivate their poetic techniques through Shakespearean sonnet.

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