Unpacking Poetry: Four Easy Steps
Delve into the world of poetry with these four easy steps: read the poem twice, identify literal events, analyze patterns and word choice, and derive the big picture. Practice your skills by unpacking Billy Collins' poem "Introduction to Poetry" following these steps.
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How to Unpack a Poem FOUR EASY STEPS
Poetry Analysis Definition: The process by which we look at the language of a poem without attaching personal feelings in an attempt to develop a critical interpretation of a poem.
FourSteps: 1. Read a poem twice. 2. Find out what is literally happening in the poem. 3. Locate any patterns in the poem and pay attention to word choice. 4. Come up with The Big Picture. Put it all together and create your meaning.
Read A Poem Twice It is difficult to get a poem in one reading. Try to understand the feelings of the poem in your first reading. Then, try to understand what the poet is trying to say.
What Is Literally Happening What is the poem about? Write what is happening.
Locate Patterns/Word Choice This is the most important and involved step. Take notice of anything that is important to the success of the poem, including form/structure, repetition, figurative language, literary devices, diction, patterns, etc.
The Big Picture Now you are ready to put all of this together and say, I think the poem means
Credits This information was adapted from a presentation made by the Atlantic Poetry Guild, entitled Elements of Poetry.
Practice Now it is your turn to practice! - Unpack the following poem by Billy Collins
Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins I ask them to take a poem and hold it up to the light like a color slide or press an ear against its hive. I say drop a mouse into a poem and watch him probe his way out, or walk inside the poem s room and feel the walls for a light switch. I want them to waterski across the surface of a poem waving at the author s name on the shore. But all they want to do is tie the poem to a chair with rope and torture a confession out of it. They begin beating it with a hose to find out what it really means.
