PoetryPoetrySeven Questions to Ask Seven Questions to Ask

Every PoemEvery Poem

Poetry Question ONEPoetry Question ONE

Who isWho isthethespeakerspeaker??

Question TwoQuestion Two

To whom is the speakerTo whom is the speakerspeaking?speaking?

Question Three:Question Three:What is the poet’s tone? What is the poet’s tone?

(This question always (This question always shows up on exams.) Tone shows up on exams.) Tone is the poet’s attitude. Is it is the poet’s attitude. Is it ironicironic, , compassionatecompassionate, ,

seriousserious, , angryangry, , hostilehostile, or , or self-deprecatingself-deprecating??

Question FourQuestion Four

1.1. What is the mood What is the mood or atmosphere of or atmosphere of the poem? How the poem? How does the poem does the poem affect me, the affect me, the reader---is it reader---is it gloomy, sad, gloomy, sad, depressed, depressed, reassuring?reassuring?

Question FiveQuestion Five

What is the theme? What is the theme? What is the main message of the poem?What is the main message of the poem?

Question SixQuestion Six Is there a Is there a

“pattern” to the “pattern” to the poem? A poem? A progression? It progression? It could be--could be--

Birth to deathBirth to death Chronology of a Chronology of a

storystory

External to internalExternal to internal General to specificGeneral to specific Least to mostLeast to most Night to dayNight to day

Question SevenQuestion Seven How does diction affect the poem? Think about How does diction affect the poem? Think about

the words the poet chose—just the right ones. the words the poet chose—just the right ones. What are the connotations of these words? What are the connotations of these words? (This is another of those certainties on college (This is another of those certainties on college tests). And, within diction, look for:tests). And, within diction, look for:

--symbols--symbols --figurative language--figurative language --allusions--allusions --sounds (alliteration, assonance, --sounds (alliteration, assonance,

personification, onomatopoeia)personification, onomatopoeia) --concrete imagery--concrete imagery

Poetry.Poetry.Someone’s Mood,Someone’s Mood,Happened Once.Happened Once.

Can Never Happen Again,Can Never Happen Again,Ever.Ever.But,But,

As human beings, As human beings, We can We can share that emotionshare that emotion from the from the

words the poetwords the poethas chosen.has chosen.

““The Stolen Child” by William Butler The Stolen Child” by William Butler YeatsYeats

Come away, o human childCome away, o human child To the water and the wildTo the water and the wild

For the world’s more full of weepingFor the world’s more full of weeping Than you can understandThan you can understand

““Metaphor” by Eve MerriamMetaphor” by Eve Merriam Blank sheet of paperBlank sheet of paper A new morningA new morning File awayFile away Light wordsLight words Dark wordsDark words Who needs a metaphor?Who needs a metaphor? What is a metaphor?What is a metaphor?

““The Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry The Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry ChapinChapin

Silver spoonSilver spoon Man in the moonMan in the moon Essence of timeEssence of time Quality timeQuality time Just timeJust time No timeNo time

““In Flanders’ Fields”In Flanders’ Fields” HonorHonor MilitaryMilitary LossLoss RespectRespect DedicationDedication MemoryMemory

NOW,NOW, Yours…Yours…