What Goes Into A Poetry Essay?

Okay, as we know, poems are used as a medium to transmit messages on deeper issues. Lurking behind that confusing jumble of words is pure emotion. Our job as Literature students is to try to figure out what the poet is trying to say and how he attempts to get that message across.

I know it's easy to get carried away discussing the poet's concerns in your essay, but really that's only half (or less than) of what you really need to discuss. What they're actually looking for is technique. Okay, let me expand a little.

When writing an essay ALWAYS discuss:

1. Content/Levels of Meaning:

Yes you need to talk about content. In your essay you'll want to talk about the various levels of meaning in the poem. For CAPE I'm pretty sure that's only literal (what the poet is saying directly in the poem) and metaphorical (the subliminal messages they're sending across). But it can also include abstract and metaphysical and all that other deep weirdness. 

So remember! What is the poet literally saying? vs. What are they saying beneath the metaphor? 

like this...teacher = metaphorical meaning, author = literal 

2. Versification and Form:

You wanna speak about structure of your poem too. Here are some things to look for:

• Structure of Poem  (that is the physical structure of the poem..stanzas ans stuff)
• Metrical pattern used (iambic pentameter and such)
• Syntax (that is how the words are arranged)
• Form (Is it a ballad/sonnet/free verse etc?)

Remember that a poet doesn't just randomly choose to a particular form, what do you think is the reason the poet choose to write a sonnet or in free verse? How does that contribute to the meaning of the poem?

3. Poetic Technique and Style:

You guys should know all about these things by now, but here's a quick recap of the main techniques you wanna look at when analysing:

•  Diction (that is choice of words. A poet carefully selects each word he/she uses in their poem, nothing is done randomly. So why exactly did the poet use THAT word? What does it contribute to the meaning or effect?)
• Literary Devices (oh come on you all know these things):
• Metaphor
• Simile
• Assonance
• Alliteration
• Hyperbole
• Litote etc.
• Use of Imagery: (Imagery doesn't refer to what you see alone. It involves all senses...examples?)
• Visual
• Aural
• Olfactory
• Tactile 
• Tone (this is the quality of the poet's voice, how they say something):
• Ironic/Sarcastic/Sardonic
• Conversational
• Nostalgic
• Critical
• Meditative
• Musical Quality of the poem (alot of times they ask you to discuss the musical quality of the poem. This allows for listener enjoyment and such as rhymes and shit are fun:
• Rhymes (and shit)
• Rhythm
• Alliteration
• Assonance
• basically whatever contributes to making it sound good 

Okay you stir these three together and you get an essay. Seriously...just know this shit and you've got a one.