How do I approach an unseen poem in an exam?

Firstly, and it cannot be repeated enough, but Do. Not. Panic. It is very easy to be intimidated by a piece of poetry – especially one you’ve never seen before. But, the sooner you realise that this poem is yours to play and wrestle with, and that you don’t have to try and find some sort of deep, secret ‘meaning’ in it, then everything will be ok. The most important thing to tell yourself when evaluating a poem is that you have control over it – it does not have control over you. Every interpretation is as valid as another as long as the argument is a sound one, which brings us on to the analysis itself… Before you do anything else, look at the poem! How does its shape appear on the page? How many lines does it have? What length are they? Does it rhyme? If it does, are there any variances, or any moments when things are changed? If it doesn’t, why? Form is your friend in poetry analysis, and you’d be surprised how an argument can be shaped out of these initial observations. From this, the close reading can begin. Make sure to read over the poem a number of times. Don’t worry if the person next to you is scribbling away from the moment the exam begins, because there’s nothing worth writing if the text itself hasn’t been properly read and contemplated. Once you have the overall feel of the poem, you can focus on the little details. Every single word, image, piece of grammar or rhetorical technique can be explored. Nothing is insignificant, and poets are very deliberate people. If something stands out to you it can be used in your argument. And, thus, we come to the golden rule of poetry analysis. It is all about you, the reader, and your gut reactions to what is in front of you. What does that word remind you of? What associations do you have with a certain image or metaphor? Do you think the use of a word is just a bit odd? If you ground your argument on these gut reactions, then the rest will come easily. Understanding a poem is as simple as realising what it means to you.