Questions to consider when reading a poem...

What is the poet's gender? Age? Class? How might these affect the writer's work?

How does the poem relate to the time and place in which it was written?

Is the speech fragmented or grammatically complete? What effect does the grammar have on the poem?

Does the speaker observe, persuade, meditate or fantasize? What are the speaker's main concerns? (Cite specific lines in the poem)

What is the speaker's emotional state and how does it change throughout the poem? (shift)

What is the main subject the speaker talks about? (theme)

What does the poem imply but not mention explicitly? (tone)

Does the poem have a consistent rhythm, or does it change?

Does the poem have a climax and if so, what is it?

Does the poem contain any similes or metaphors? If so, what are they? What is being compared and to what effect? (connotation)

Does the poem employ imagery? Give examples.

Are there any natural divisions in the poem and why are they there?