First things first. Ask yourself several questions, such as, What appears to be going on in the poem? Colors also have meanings like green-renewal, white–purity, red–seductive, black–death. Not to mention, that when you are dealing with older poetry the more difficult it can be to uncover the true meaning of the writing. In the end you'll gain a better appreciation of the poem. Ezra Pound says the poem ought to work on the level of a person for whom a hawk is simply a hawk. Dickinson suggests that eating fame leads to death, or a very unhappy end. The poem also references the historical figure “Abraham Lincoln.”. Go ahead. Read the words. An Introduction to Poetry Many people are intimidated by the mention of the word “poetry.” It is often perceived as something that is cryptic and beyond understanding. They help poets talk about uneasy subjects in a way readers can understand and identify with. The book is thick, well-read, and has many parts worth knowing. Meter, cadence, rhyme, alliteration, assonance, consonance, repetition, and others are used quite often and are important to the emotions and interpretation of the reader. In Emily Dickinson’s poem “Fame is a Fickle Food”, the word “fame” appears only once in the poem in the first line. Write down your initial reaction to the title in the margins of the poem or on a piece of paper. In this case, 88% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. If you are a student trying to pull out literary devices to gain an understanding of the mechanics of a poem, your definition will be very different from someone who is simply reading for enjoyment. All rights reserved. Metaphors allow poets to use concrete words to describe otherwise difficult features of people, places, and emotions. Now ask your friend what it means. © 2020 Bright Dreams Journal. For example, if you were analyzing Emily Dickinson’s poem “Fame is a Fickle Food”, you may notice the poem uses the metaphor: “Fame is a fickle food/Upon a shifting plate.”, A simile compares two subjects or objects to each other using “as” or “like”. It gave me the tips I needed.". Reading poetry can be very frustrating if you don't know what it means. Not to mention, that when you are dealing with older poetry the more difficult it can be to uncover the true meaning of the writing. Keep in mind there is no one right way to interpret a poem or understand it more deeply. Define "understand" for yourself. However, the poet may have used a double entendre in order to create a possible alternative. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. What are your thoughts and expectations about the poem based on the title alone? 18. In some cases, a reader might want to write out a word phonetically as a reminder of how it should sound. You can’t be assured you fully understand a poem if you don’t understand all its words. This might sound difficult, and it is, but not everything in life is easy. This creates a certain rhythm when the poem is read out loud or in your head, putting a stress on the word “flow”, and making you pause on the last line of the stanza. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Paragraphs don't appear in poetry. Pay attention to them and look them up. Poetic elements are an extremely important part of poetry. Read Through Slowly. There are 35 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Does the poem have a turning point where the tone, focus, or rhyme scheme changes? For example, perhaps you are trying to understand the poem, “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman. Overviews of everything from traditional forms, such as the ode, to more experimental styles, such as OULIPO. Read that way, too, on a literal level first. Don’t skip over unfamiliar words. For example, in “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman, you may notice the words “varied” and “blithe”. Take note of any lines you find difficult to understand. However, in some cases, we can easily guess the meaning. The easiest way to identify analogies is by knowing the history of the author’s writing and a short biography of the poet. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. A brief guide to understanding basic terms, including the various elements of figurative language, poetic devices, forms, and meter. You may also notice that the fourth line of the poem stands on its own as a single line. Talking Back to a Poem It would be convenient if there were a short list of universal questions, ones that could be used anytime with any poem. I tell them that reading a poem aloud a few times can help them get an overall feel for the language, rhyme, and rhythm of the poem. Hughes seems to be trying to emphasize the importance of this line, forcing the reader to slow down and take in the line as a whole. You may realize that the poem is acting as a testament to the life of the negro, literally and figuratively. Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. Read the title. Support wikiHow by You may put a question mark next to a passage or line that strikes you as strange or unique.

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