English Literature

Grade 10

The Elements of Poetry

To analyse poetry, you will need to be familiar with the diction, speaker, content, theme,
shape and form, mood, tone, figurative language, and sound effects.

1. DICTION: What are the denotations, connotations, and word associations of the words
in the poem?
The writer of a poem (the poet) uses words in a variety of ways to share his experiences
with us. To understand what the poet is saying, examine the poet's words.
 Make sure you know the denotation of all the words in the poem. A dictionary can be
handy here.
 Pay special attention to multiple meanings of words. Poetry often makes use of two
or more possible meanings of a word to create an image or effect.
 Notice the connotation of words. Does the word create a positive or negative feeling?
 Look for word associations that can build an image or a concept. What feelings do
they suggest?

2. SPEAKER: Who is the speaker of the poem?

The speaker of the poem is the 'voice' we hear talking to us. This voice is not always the
poet's. It may be an invented character, human or non-human. Consider what the poem
reveals about the speaker’s personality, experiences, and concerns.

3. CONTENT: Is the poem a narrative, lyric or dramatic poem? What is it speaking

about?
The narrative voice tells a story or relates an event. Poets use the lyric voice to express
their personal feelings or thoughts. Sometimes the dramatic voice is used when they
wish to put on a mask, pretending to be something else, or when they wish to create a
conversation. Determine what main points or ideas are being discussed in the poem. Are
these ideas narrative, descriptive, explanatory, persuasive, or reflective in nature?

4. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE: What non-literal or connotative meanings are used to

create effect?
Figurative language is used to describe one thing in terms of something else. It is
language that is not intended to be taken literally. Identify examples and explain the
comparison being made. Some figurative devices are: simile, metaphor, personification,
hyperbole, understatement, pun, irony, and symbol.

5. MOOD: What is the prevailing mood, or atmosphere, of the poem?

Atmosphere is the mood or feeling communicated in a work of literature. Descriptive
details (or lack of them), prose rhythms, and connotations are all means of creating
atmosphere. Mood is usually described using one or two adjectives. Here are some
examples: terrifying, evil, menacing, hysterical, edgy, sensitive, emotional, fearful,
insecure, dominated, warm, secure, enclosed, protected, soothing, friendly, orderly, open,
refreshing, natural, pleasant, satisfied, excited.
6. SHAPE AND FORM: Is the poem free verse or metrical poetry? How are lines
arranged?
The form, or structure, of a poem depends on the pattern of lines and the patterns of
rhythm. Free verse is unrhymed, with no regular pattern of stressed and unstressed
syllables, while metered poetry has a regular pattern of stresses, and often uses patterned
rhyme. Poems may be broken into sections called stanzas or verses. The structure of a
poem can add or emphasise meaning, rhythm, mood or tone.

7. SOUND EFFECTS: Which sounds are used to create a particular effect in a poem?
The sound of a poem mainly depends on such elements as rhythm and rhyme. Rhythm is
the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables, while rhyme (internal, end,
approximate) is the repetition of accented syllables, usually at the end of words. Describe
how rhythm and rhyme reflect the content/theme of the poem. Poets use several other
sound devices to emphasise meaning or to create rhythm and tone. Examples include
alliteration, assonance, and onomatopoeia.

8. THEME: What is the theme or implied meaning of the poem?

It is the main idea expressed or the central insight that the work gives us about life. In
one sentence tell what insight into life or human nature the poem reveals to you. Consider
how the poem helps to make this idea clear or how it emphasises this idea.

9. TONE: What is the poet's tone, or attitude, in the poem?

The tone of a piece of writing results from the writer's attitude towards the subject
characters, or the reader. It is the distinctive quality of the 'voice' we hear speaking to us
(see note on SPEAKER). We discover tone through attention to point of view, details of
plot or subject, word choice, figures of speech, and the sounds and rhythms of language.
Tone can be described using adjectives such as: aloof, affectionate, contemptuous,
conversational, cynical, delighted, disgusted, humorous, ironic, mocking, moralising,
mournful, objective, serious, silly, tense. Tone can also be expressed as a noun:
cynicism, delight, tension.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

I. You should carefully analyse each of the poems, taking note of meaning, format, and
language as you do so. Note specific examples for each area, and use your notes to help
you prepare your poetry essays.
II. Any poem from this booklet can be used when you are writing the examination paper
(Paper II) in May of Grade 12. (Other texts will be used for coursework).
Use the names of the poems and their creators accurately when responding to questions.
Spell and capitalize the names correctly. This includes all punctuation. Remember to
enclose the name of the POEM in quotation marks when you are writing about the poem.
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Prepared by K. E. Collie, 2005 [special thanks to Anthony Hoyle]