When faced with a poem to analyse what are first few things would should look out for.

Structure. What form do the stanzas take? How many stanzas are there? Is there a pattern? If so, what is the name of the pattern which the stanzas take? (eg sonnet) Rhyme and rhythm. Does the poem rhyme or follow a rhythm? If so, does this have a name? (eg Iambic pentameter) Does the poem use any extended metaphors? If so, what do these mean? What is the message the poet is trying to get across? By answering these questions before you get down to the nitty gritty of analysing a poem you can ensure that you hit many points which the examiner will be looking out for. This also gives you the opportunity to show off some of your technical language.