What is the best way approach an analysis of poetry?

There are numerous ways to approach poetry. I would advise a student to start by chronologically making their way through, stanza by stanza, analysing language, imagery, metaphor. I would suggest that they find recurring themes within the language that they can draw upon in order to make their response structurally sound. I would always suggest that they conclude by commenting on the form and structure of the poem, which will encourage them to recenter their essay on an analysis of the text itself.