Description
Step 1: Annotate the poem (if you can somehow annotate it digitally or on paper and upload a picture of it) (it is a very short poem)
Step 2: Write 15 specific observations about the poem's FORM. Each should be a full sentence (at least)
- For observations, note anything that strikes you about:
Rhyme
Meter
The overall shape/structure of the poem
Word choice (diction)
Patterns of imagery
Patterns of sound
Sensory details (which senses are engaged? Why?)
Juxtaposition (two or more different things placed next to each other in the poem)
The speaker of the poem (and/or the poem's addressee)
Anything else! (See the "How to Close-Read a Poem" handout for more things to look for)
Step 3: Write a 500-word analysis of the poem as a whole, building on your 15 observations.
- Think about what the poem is doing in general -- and what its meaning(s) might be. What is this a poem about? How do its formal elements (the things you noticed in your observations) contribute to its meaning?
- You should also talk about the poem in the context of Romantic or Victorian poetry more generally. How does the poem exemplify some major themes of Romantic or Victorian poetry? But also: how does it do its own thing?
Step 4: Craft a discussion question about your poem.
- end with a provocative and specific Discussion Question about your poem that is designed to generate conversation.