How do I approach an unseen poem in an exam?

Although unseen poetry can seem daunting, I believe by developing and practising a structured approach, critically analysing unseen poetry will become second nature to the student. I like to emphasise the fact that all literature and poetry has been created with the intent that the reader is able to enjoy every moment of the analytical process. This is purely the purpose of prose and poetry, that it is to be enjoyed and to inspire though and creativity. With this reminder, I believe the student is relieved of a certain pressure, enabling them to enjoy this process and extend their process of thought. Firstly, I recommend the poem is read multiple times, as taking a few relaxed minutes at the begging of the exam to fully digest the work will greatly improve the final analysis and content of the essay. After reading it twice, I suggest marking and making brief annotations on the poem, writing down any ideas regarding style, form, themes, rhythm, rhyme and intention. I like to emphasise the focus on the first and last lines of the poem, to determine any specific connecting themes or images. I also would remind the student to ask themselves questions such as “what are the over-arching themes of the poem?” and “what poetic devices are being used and how are they enabling the poet to enact these themes?”.
Depending upon the essay question, I suggest that after the annotation process the student chooses their most succinct and relevant points to shape an argument, backed up by evidence they have chosen in poem. A brief plan should be developed surrounding these points, enabling the skeleton of the argument to be made clear for the student. Once the main argument and shell of the essay have been planned, the student is then able to focus on the writing process and weaving in the evidence and analysis they have extracted from the poem. I always suggest the PEA method, which stands for point, example, analysis. This ensures the student’s points are always explained and backed up by evidence, strengthening their concluding argument. I believe practising this method is the best advice, to follow a plan which creates a writing structure, allowing the student to secure appropriate evidence and finalise an argument which responds to the given question.