How should I approach an unseen poetry essay?

The most important thing to remember when approaching an unseen poem is to relax and enjoying reading the piece. I understand the challanges of writing about an unfamiliar poem however, I have frequently used an essay structure that insures that you cover everything needed in order to achieve a high mark in an unseen essay. This structure consists of a mnemonic, 'T.W.E.N.T.Y'. Each letter complies to an aspect you should consider within the poem. Here is an explanation of the mnemonic and how it should be used: T - Title - Notice the title of the poem - What does it tell you about the poem? Does it use a technique such as a rhetorical question or a comparison? What is the significance of the title in relation to the rest of the poem? W - What is the poem about? - Here you must briefly explain the content of the poem, showing a clear understanding of its narrative and purpose. It is helpful to use the 4 W's here - What? When? Where? Who? E - Every poetic technique - You must spot out poetic techniques in the poem - alliteration, repetition, similie, metaphor, onomatopeia, personification, narrator point-of-view, imagery, and rhyme . You do not have to refer to all techniques used, you must select those that you deem interesting and discuss them using Point, Evidence, Explanation to describe the effect of the technique used. Around 5-8 techniques is great. N - Notice the shape of the poem - The way the poem is published and presented to the reader is often significant to the purpose of the poem - you may consider the length of the poem as a whole, line lengths and if you can, refer to the meter. T - Themes - When reading a poem, its themes help to shape meaning and create purpose. Therefore, it is important that you recognise the themes within the poem. These vary depending on the poem selected. If you are able to discuss how the poet relates to the theme within the poem, you will be showing great literary analysis and understanding. Y - Your opinion - To conclude the essay, it is important to present your ideas/opinion of the poem.  How did it make you feel? Did you like it? If so, why? What interests you about the poem and its themes? What did you find most effective and why? I'd like to re-emphasise the importance of relaxing and enjoying whilst writing this essay. As long as you use your analytical and creative abilities, and cover all aspects mentioned above in your analysis, you will write a solid and successful essay.