Poetry Analysis Formula Template

? POETRY ANALYSIS FORMULA TEMPLATE (WHAT – HOW – WHY) ? WHAT IS DONE? The poet… (describe the choice/feature/technique used) ? HOW IS IT DONE? ‘SQA’ style – Evidence and effect The poet uses (technique/quote) to emphasise (emotion, image, tone) in line... This creates a sense of (mood/idea) by using (device/structure). ? WHY IS IT DONE? This suggests… (What does it mean? Why was it included?) What does the poet want the reader to think, feel, or realise? ? POEM ANALYSIS STARTER ? BASIC INFO Poem #: Title: Author: Context (setting/time): ? Apartheid ? War ? Romance ? Personal Grief ? Feminism ? Protest ? Social Injustice ? PEOPLE IN THE POEM 1. Speaker / Persona (Who is talking?): ? Victim ? Observer ? Lover ? Protester ? 1st person (personal voice) ? 3rd person (speaker tells someone else's story) Why is this role interesting or powerful? (E.g. close to conflict, emotionally involved...) 2. Addressee (Who is the poem talking to?): ? Society ? A person ? Themselves ? Nature We know this because: (use clues like “you,” “we,” tone, setting…) ? WHAT IS THE POEM ABOUT? ? Main Idea / Storyline Summary Who: (e.g. A mother speaks to her child…) What happens: (e.g. They are separated, remembering, warning…) How it's told: (e.g. Through memory, conversation, reflection…) Why it's written: (e.g. To express fear, love, acceptance…) ? Main Message / Purpose What is the poet saying about life or people? Why was the poem written? ? To: ? Defend ? Enrage ? Mock ? Express admiration ? Warn ? Protest ? Criticise ? Praise ? Persuade ? Evoke empathy ? Reflect on memory ? STRUCTURE 1. Type / Form: ? Lyric (emotional) ? Apostrophe (direct address) ? Narrative (tells story) ? Ballad (story + song rhythm) ? Free verse (no rules) ? Sonnet (14-line argument) Sonnet Variants: Petrarchan / Italian: Octave: ABBA ABBA Sestet: CDE CDE Volta (Shift) : After 8 lines Theme: time, love, change Shakespearean: 3 Quatrains: ABAB CDCD EFEF 1 Couplet: GG Volta in couplet Use of iambic pentameter 2. Stanza Structure: Number of stanzas: ___ Length: __ lines each ? Quatrains ? Couplets ? Free-form Describe: (e.g. 3 quatrains of 4 lines and 1 rhyming couplet) 3. Line Structure: ? Short lines (blunt, childlike) ? Long lines (flow, emotion) 4. Rhyme Scheme: ? Free verse (no rhyme) ? Couplet (AABB) ? Alternate (ABAB) ? Internal rhyme ? Half rhyme Effect: Creates a sense of (harmony, chaos, flow, tension) which reflects the poem’s theme of (loss, control, protest, etc.) 5. Rhythm / Metre: ? Iambic pentameter ? Monosyllabic (blunt, harsh tone) ? Irregular (chaos, unpredictability) 6. Shift / Contrast: What changes in the poem? ? Tone ? Mood ? Setting ? Perspective ? Tense Effect: Shows development of thought/emotion/realisation. ? TONE & MOOD Tone (Poet’s attitude): Beginning: Middle: End: Effect of tone shift on message: Mood (How reader feels): ? Peaceful ? Tense ? Angry ? Sad ? Hopeful ? Conflicted ? THEMES The poem explores big ideas about life: ? Change ? Time passing ? Power ? Identity ? Death ? Love ? Loss ? Protest ? Nature ? POEM CONNECTIONS Poem Theme / Technique / Contrast Similar structure, tone, idea Contrast in message or mood ? ANSWERING TIPS Always write in WHAT – HOW – WHY order: The poet uses (technique) Through (quote / example) To show (meaning or theme) Start with phrases like: "The poet presents..." "This highlights..." "This suggests..." "This mirrors..." ? TECHNIQUES TABLE Technique Effect / Function (linked to context) Imagery Visual / 5 senses – makes reader feel __ Metaphor Direct comparison shows __ Simile "Like / as" comparison adds clarity to __ Alliteration / Assonance Emphasises __ / creates rhythm Personification Gives emotion / life to __ Repetition Stresses a key idea __ Sibilance Soft / sinister tone (e.g. "s" sounds) Enjambment Shows flowing thoughts / emotional rush Caesura Creates pause / tension End-stopped lines Finality, control Onomatopoeia Sound reflects action (e.g. “bang”, “whisper”) Emotive language Triggers sympathy, pity, love, etc. Rhetorical Question Involves reader / shows uncertainty Anaphora Repeated phrase = emphasis Allusion Reference to Bible/history/literature adds layers Allegory Entire story = hidden message Apostrophe Direct speech to person/object not present Pun Wordplay adds humour or double meaning Irony Opposite meaning – clever criticism Sarcasm Harsh irony – mock or insult Parody Copy of real thing in funny/silly way Euphemism Softens harsh truth Juxtaposition 2 opposing ideas side-by-side to show contrast Motif Recurring idea/image (e.g. light/dark = life/death) Pathos Appeals to reader’s feelings Syntax Sentence structure changes tone White Space Gaps = pause or reflection Punctuation Full stops = slow, commas = flow Inversion Reversed word order = emphasis Atmosphere Overall vibe (tense, relaxed, eerie, hopeful)