How do I write about poems?

Writing about poetry can be daunting because there is less certainty as to what is ‘right’; different people will respond to poetry in different ways. When faced with a poem, first read it through and think about the effect it has on you. Read it through again at least two or three times before starting to write about it. In an exam situation, re-read the poem even if it is one you have already studied before: this will remind you of its effect. If there are parts of the poem you don’t understand or confuse you, don’t panic! It might be helpful to consider the following questions.-How does this poem make me feel?-Are there particular parts of the poem that stand out for me and why?-What is the poet saying or how is the poet expressing themselves that makes me feel this way?-Are there other ways that someone else might interpret the poem?-What are the details in the poem that might support another interpretation?
Once you have thought about your own personal response and other people's possible responses, think in more detail about how the poem is achieving its effect. First, try and identify the themes, ideas and attitudes in the poem. Some common ones are love, conflict, time, place, nature, family, and childhood, but a poem can have any theme. What does the poet want to express to the reader? Asking yourself the following questions may help:-Is it clear what the poem is about and is there a clear theme?-Could the poem be about different things and why might you think this?-Are there key lines or phrases that stand out to you as saying something strongly?-Are the themes/ideas clear throughout, or do they emerge or change during the poem?-Are there any particular clues in the title or at the start and end of the poem?
Then think about how the poem is written: language, structure and form. Some poems adopt specific forms eg sonnets or narrative poems, but many don’t. Ask yourself why this particular form (or lack of!) has been chosen. Does it link to the themes? The structure is the way the poem is organised on the page (number of stanzas, lines per stanza etc) Ask yourself how this can be linked to the meaning and effect. Are the sentences contained in one line or spread along several? Also consider rhyme, rhythm and metre. Does it have a rhyme scheme? Is the number beats and stresses consistent for each line? Does it vary? Don’t just point out what these are, but say what effect they have too! A discussion of language is mentioning the power of individual words or phrases and the overall effect of the language in a poem. Do the words link to each other? Are certain ones particularly powerful? Do they create images? You should also look for specific poetic devices such as metaphor, simile and alliteration. Identifying techniques is only the first step; a good analysis has to think about how these link to meaning and effect.