Poetry Mini-Unit

Basic Strategies for Interpreting Poetry

1. Read for the Big Picture

• First, read the poem aloud or silently to get a sense of its mood, tone, and general meaning.

• Ask: What is this poem about?

2. Focus on Key Words and Phrases

• Highlight or underline words or phrases that stand out.

• Look for patterns (e.g., repeated words, contrasting ideas).

3. Look for Poetic Devices

• Identify tools like metaphors, similes, alliteration, imagery, and symbolism.

• Ask: Why might the poet have used this technique?

4. Consider the Speaker and Audience

• Who is "speaking" in the poem? Is it the poet or a persona?

• Who is the poem addressing, and why?

5. Reflect on Emotional Impact

• How does the poem make you feel?

• Does the mood shift from beginning to end?

6. Analyze the Structure

• Notice line breaks, stanza length, and rhyme schemes.

• Ask: How does the structure influence the meaning?

 In-Class Poems:

1. The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost
2. Hotel California, The Eagles
3. Letter To A Future Generation, Gwendolyn MacEwen
4. Dulce et Decorum, Wilfred Owen

Poetry Project:

Oftentimes, different individuals will use poetry to express concepts, values, or emotions that are hard to explain in a straightforward manner. For this project, you will be finding a selection of 3 poems that reflects an aspect of life, or humanity, that you find particularly important.

Project Outline