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How to write a Critical Analysis of a Poem

How to write a Critical Analysis of a Poem

According to many students, it is usually not easy for one to know how to write a critical analysis of a poem. However, you do not have to worry anymore because with the guidelines that we will give herein, you will find out that writing poem analysis essays or papers is quite simple. Carefully read this section to easily find out how to write a good analysis of a poem.

What is a critical analysis of a poem?

A critical analysis of a poem basically refers to an essay or a paper that is written to review a particular work of poetry. When given such an assignment, you will be expected to give a comprehensive illustration of the poem and other elements of the piece that may be requested.

Assignments on poem analysis are quite easy to handle because you are always given a poem to analyze in every assignment. This means that you will not be writing based on imagination or what you can remember but something that is right in front of you.

Writing analysis for poems is an assignment that you will be undertaking quite often if you are doing literature as part of the coursework and that is why it is critical for you to know how to write a critical analysis of a poem. The skills will not only help you in studies but even after school.

By being able to deliver a well written analysis of a poem, you will always find it easy writing essays, research papers, dissertations and even reports since the procedures are almost related. In fact, this can go a long way in enhancing your writing and even communication skills.

Poetry is an art that you may not master since not all can be poets. However, it is important to know how to write an analysis of poems since this will even help you in being able to understand various kinds of poems.

Guidelines on how to write a critical analysis of a poem

You will realize that it is quite simple to know how to write a critical analysis of a poem if you apply the tricks we have illustrated in this section. In fact, these guidelines are highly recommended for you since they provide a comprehensive outline of some of the things that you should include and those to avoid in analyzing poetry.

  • Always read the given poem carefully

In order for you to write a good analysis of a poem or any other work, you have to understand it and all elements related to it. In order to get enough information that can enable you to analyze the work properly, you should read it over and over to exhaustion.

  • Take notes

Many students often consider taking notes as an additional activity, and usually fail to do it. However, this step is important since it will help you in determining what to discuss in the analysis. It is advisable that you put down some of the points about the poem in the process of reading so that you will not have to re-read the poem every time when writing.

Taking notes will make it easier for you to even draft an outline for the paper since you will have highlighted some of the aspects to address in the analysis.

  • Study further to find out about the poetic devices in the piece

Some poems are quite simple and written in plain language that everyone can read and understand. However, there is so much that is expected of you as the person analyzing the poem. You have to dig deeper in order to discover the meanings of various lines of the poem, literary aspects portrayed therein among other elements. Poetry portrays complex feelings and you should always get all of them in order to deliver a good analysis.

  • Focus on a theme or concept

A critical analysis of a poem is not to only to tell about the poem but also giving the reader another perspective or side of the poem that they can relate. Thus, you have to been keen on reading and writing to ensure that readers are able to get the significance of the poem.

  • When learning how to write a critical analysis of a poem, you should also note that the piece should not be lengthy but just the right size that readers can read and get on the go.

Procedures to follow when writing a critical analysis of a poem

By following the steps below, you will be able to easily know how to write a critical analysis of a poem.

  • Draft an outline

It is recommended that first create a rough copy detailing how you will introduce the analysis, the aspects to be covered in the body and conclusion. An outline is the best way of planning how to present your ideas.

  • Write the introduction

Just like any other essay or research paper, you will need to have an introduction for the poem analysis. In this section, you will be required to tell the readers in short, the title of the poem and its author. Besides, you can also give a statement outlining the general message of the poem. However, this should be very precise since more about the poem will be told in the body of the analysis.

In the introduction, you can also include a quotation from the poem in case the author placed some emphasis on the opening.

  • Crafting the body

In the body of the analysis essay, you should give a more detailed review of the elements of literature and other poetry techniques that are applied in the given piece. Besides, you will need to point out some of the aspects of the poem like figurative language, similes, irony, metaphors among others.

If you are discussing about an aspect like irony in the poem, it is important that you quote how it is applied in the text.

  • Conclusion

In the conclusion, you have to ensure that the questions lingering in the minds of readers are answered. However, you can also end with a rhetoric question or a statement related to the poem.

The conclusion should confirm the meaning of the poem and relate it to events that readers are familiar with.

Examples of Poetry Analysis Essays

We have given samples of critical analysis of poems so that you can see how a typical analysis of a poem should be crafted. With the examples, you can quickly know how to write a critical analysis of a poem even on your own since they highlight the various qualities of a good one and how each should be presented in the final paper.

  • The first example of a critical analysis of a poem is found on the link; sites.google.com.

This sample is an analysis of a very short poem; XL (two stanzas, four lines each) but the features of a good poetry analysis are still well depicted therein. For instance, the introduction is quite simple and reads, ‘’The title of this poem is a simple Roman numerical implying that the poem is extracted from a collection.’’

The body of the analysis is also well written in clearly structured paragraphs. The person doing the analysis has used subheadings to highlight the various aspects of the poem like its layout, sound pattern, language, symbols and themes.

The conclusion of the poem gives the message in the piece. It states, ‘’Perhaps, we should enjoy the pleasures of the moment to the highest limits since there is no guarantee in our ever changing world.’’

  • The sample poem analysis given in this link is also an ideal example that you should refer to vtang.webs.com.

This example is an analysis of the poem; ‘’Azzure and Gold.’’ The introduction is welcoming and crafted in a very thoughtful way. It reads, ‘’Azzure and Gold by Amy Lowell effectively illustrates the theme of beautiful nature.’’

In analyzing the poem, the writer has explained various elements of the poem and how they are portrayed in the piece. The analysis has discussed elements like imagery, rhymes and alliteration.

In this analysis, you will see that the author of the paper has clearly listed the aspects of the poem and illustrated them with quotes from the work. The introduction is well presented through to the body and conclusion in a way that you can easily understand.

This analysis has outlined the application of various poetic devices in the poem like hyperbole, irony, imagery, alliteration, metaphor among others.

From the above guideline, we hope now you know how to write a critical analysis of a poem. However if you need assistance in writing one please feel free to get in touch with us today for assistance. You can also visit our homepage for more information about our custom writing services. Alternatively you can continue reading more essay writing guidelines and samples on our blog.

References

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/a/american-poets-of-the-20th-century/how-to-analyze-poetry

https://sites.google.com/site/scientificolesley/iiia/example-of-analysis-of-a-poem

http://vtang.webs.com/poemanalysis1.htm

http://www.oregonartscommission.org/sites/default/files/publication_or_resource/resource_file/POL-Example-Poetry-Analysis.pdf

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