How do I begin analysing the unseen poem during the exam?

The idea of an unseen poem in an exam setting can be extremely unnerving- but if you set yourself up to feel comfortable reading and analysing poems you haven't studied before, you will have the tools to pick apart any poem, and write a successful response during the exam time. First of all, read the poem through twice. During the first reading, just take in the words and how the rhythm feels when reading in your head. By the second reading you should be able to come to some kind of conclusion on what the poem is about. What feeling or mood do you think is behind the poem? What themes are there? Highlight any words which may help you answer this, such as particular words of a semantic field. The poem title may also help you if you feel confused answering these questions. Don't worry if the poem still feels confusing- now you can use the skills you have developed in analysing poems to pick this one apart. Identify any metaphors or similes you can find, and try to understand what effect they give. Does the poem have a rhyme scheme? Can you find any examples of alliteration or perhaps half-rhymes and sound repetitions? Is the poem set out on the page in a way that gives meaning? Are there any interesting uses of punctuation? All these features you are spotting and scribbling down on the page will be helpful in writing your response. Annotate all over the poem, making sure to pick out everything you notice. The poem can end up being as messy as you want! The examiner will not see your copy of the poem, and you can select the things you think are most interesting when putting together your written response. Once your poem is fully analysed you will be ready to start your response! You will hopefully feel proud of the amount of different annotations you have been able to add to a poem you have never seen before. Begin by noting different features that may have similar effects, or be used for an overall purpose. Structure your response around these effects, adding examples of the features you have spotted as you go.