Ask yourself the following questions that apply to your focus question. Make notes as you go, and you will find it easier to organize your thoughts for the first draft.
- The poem’s basic content
- What is the context of the poem? Identify the speaker(s) and any background information that would help explain the poem’s basic message.
- How are the thoughts organized?
- Does the poet contrast any ideas? Does he/she juxtapose any for effect?
- What feelings does the speaker reveal? How are the feelings communicated?
- What meaning does the poem have on the literal level?
- The poem’s figurative level
- Does the poet use any emotionally charged words? What effect do they have?
- What images stand out? How do the images help to convey the poem’s main idea?
- Are any of the images used as symbols? What do they represent?
- Are any of the actions described in the poem intended to be viewed as symbolic? What do they represent?
- Is the poem limited to a specific situation, or does it comment on life in general? What comment does it make?
- What is the significance of the poem’s thoughts or theme?
- The poem’s main purpose
- Is the poem mostly concerned with communicating thoughts?
- Does the poem tell a story or present a dramatic situation? Does it amuse or entertain? Does it succeed?
- Is the poem an explanation or exploration of feelings?
- Does it aim at persuading the reader to believe something? What?
- Does the poem attempt to shock the reader into a realization? Is it effective?
- Is the poem commenting on a problem in our society? What is it saying?
- The poem’s tone
- What feelings is the speaker expressing?
- What words or images convey those feelings best? Why?
- Are there any sounds in the poem that help to communicate the speaker’s attitude? Which? How do they help?
- Does the poem’s rhythm relate to the feelings being expressed? How? What is the effect?
- Have the details of the poem been especially selected to convey the speaker’s attitude? How have they been limited? Is it effective?
- The poem’s use of words, sounds and rhythm
- Which words are repeated? Why?
- Have any words been isolated or given special emphasis? What effect was the poet trying to achieve?
- What use does the poet make of imagery? What patterns link the images together?
- Does the author give any special emphasis to any single image? Which one? Why?
- Are there symbols in the poem? Where? What do they mean?
- How do the images and symbols help to establish the poem’s meaning?
- What use does the poet make of sounds? How do the sounds in the poem add to its meaning?
- How would you describe the poem’s rhythm? Does the rhythm slow down, speed up, or change at any point? Why?
- The poem’s structure
- What type of poem is this? Why did the poet choose this type?
- What pattern of rhyme did the poet use? How does the pattern of rhymes add to the impact of the poem?
- Are the lines of the poem arranged in a special pattern? What purpose did the poet have in choosing that pattern?
- Does the poem have a consistent meter? What type of meter? How many feet are in each line?
- What rhyme scheme, if any, did the poet use?
This exercise will enable you to organize your thoughts and gather some preliminary notes on your subject.