Analyzing Poetry

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Analyzing Poetry

• William Butler Yeats The Second Coming and
  Rudyard Kiplings The White Mans Burden

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• Title
• Paraphrase
• Connotation
• Attitude
• Shifts
• Title
• Theme

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Title

• First, you have to look at the title. Just look
  at it. Don't try to be all artistic and read into
  it, simply write down what your initial
  impression is. What immediately pops into your
  head? What does it make you feel? Any guesses as
  to what the poem's about? This step is important,
  as your initial impression of the title versus
  your final impression can reveal a lot about the
  poem itself.

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Paraphrase

• This is pretty self-explanatory. However, don't
  try to interpret the poem-- not just yet. Simply
  "translate" the poem into simpler language . Make
  sure the phrasing of the poem makes complete
  sense to you before moving on to the next step.
• Identify the speaker What is he/she going
  through? What is he/she experiencing?

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Connotation

• Connotation an idea or feeling that a word
  evokes in addition to its literal meaning.
• Look for words which
• Cause an emotional or strong reaction in the
  reader (YOU!)
• Stand out because of unusual usage
• Appear to be related to the title or subject of
  the poem

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Attitude

• Reflect on the connotation of the words. Let's
  say you're reading a poem about dogs. If words
  and phrases such as "wagging tail," "eager,"
  "loyal," and "man's best friend" are used, you'd
  probably assume that the speaker has a positive
  attitude toward the subject. They like dogs.
  Imagine, however, that none of those words are in
  the poem-- instead, it contains "slobbering,"
  "noisy," "smelly," and "obnoxious barking." In
  that case, it would be a better guess that the
  speaker is not so fond of dogs.

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• 1.        accusatory-charging of wrong doing
• 2.        apathetic-indifferent due to lack of
  energy or concern
• 3.        awe-solemn wonder
• 4.        bitter-exhibiting strong animosity as a
  result of pain or grief
• 5.        cynical-questions the basic sincerity
  and goodness of people
• 6.        condescension condescending-a feeling
  of superiority
• 7.        callous-unfeeling, insensitive to
  feelings of others
• 8.        contemplative-studying, thinking,
  reflecting on an issue
• 9.        critical-finding fault
• 10.     choleric-hot-tempered, easily angered
• 11.     contemptuous-showing or feeling that
  something is worthless or lacks respect
• 12.     caustic-intense use of sarcasm stinging,
  biting
• 13.     conventional-lacking spontaneity,
  originality, and individuality
• 14.     disdainful-scornful
• 15.     didactic-author attempts to educate or
  instruct the reader
• 16.     derisive-ridiculing, mocking
• 17.     earnest-intense, a sincere state of mind
• 18.     erudite-learned, polished, scholarly
• 19.     fanciful-using the imagination

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Shifts

• Identifying the shifts in a poem can reveal
  multiple attitudes, themes or even speakers.
• A shift is characterized most often by a change
  in mood or tone, but here are some things to look
  for when searching for shifts
• -A new stanza
• -Transition words (but, yet, however)
• -Changes in diction
• -Change in speaker
• -Unusual punctuation

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Title (Again)

• it's time to re-examine the title. Before, it was
  only a surface-level interpretation now, you can
  apply all of your analysis of the poem to a new
  and more in-depth interpretation of the title.
• Think about the following
• Look over your original guess/interpretation and
  see if you still agree. If not, what are the
  differences in the surface meaning and deeper
  meaning? Is there use of an extended metaphor?
• Does the title utilize any kind of poetic devices
  (ex. alliteration, allusion, metaphor) which add
  to the meaning of the poem?
• In the context of the poem, does the title
  suggest a possible theme?

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Theme

• A theme is best stated in sentence form-- "love"
  can be a theme but it is not specific at all.
  Instead, "love conquers all" would be a more
  detailed and acceptable theme.
• To identify the theme, look over all of your
  analysis and find the connecting threads
• -What's the subject?
• -Who is the speaker, what situation are they
  in, and how do they feel about the subject?
• -Is there more than one speaker or attitude
  toward the subject? Why?
• -How does the poet's use of diction (word
  choice) and other poetic devices help the
  reader better understand the poem?

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• THE SECOND COMING
•     Turning and turning in the widening gyre?   
  The falcon cannot hear the falconer?    Things
  fall apart the centre cannot hold?    Mere
  anarchy is loosed upon the world,?    The
  blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere?   
  The ceremony of innocence is drowned?    The
  best lack all conviction, while the worst?    Are
  full of passionate intensity.
•     Surely some revelation is at hand?    Surely
  the Second Coming is at hand.?    The Second
  Coming! Hardly are those words out?    When a
  vast image out of Spiritus Mundi?    Troubles my
  sight a waste of desert sand?    A shape with
  lion body and the head of a man,?    A gaze blank
  and pitiless as the sun,?    Is moving its slow
  thighs, while all about it?    Wind shadows of
  the indignant desert birds.
•     The darkness drops again but now I know?   
  That twenty centuries of stony sleep?    Were
  vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,?    And
  what rough beast, its hour come round at last,? 
    Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

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The Perception of Africans

• By writing Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe hoped
  to change the way people thought of Africans and
  African culture.
• Africans in tribal societies were seen as
  childlike people living in a primitive society
  and depicted as violent savages with passionate
  instincts and simple minds.
• He wrote as an insider, someone who had
  experienced and wanted to share the richness and
  complexity of traditional African society.
  (Norton Anthology of World Literature)

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