For all poetry:
6 elements to mark and notate on the work especially on a timed reading of the poem—
Note title and what it might mean
Scan entire poem quickly stopping only at a . or ? or ! (endstop punctuation) for main purpose or tone
Mark identity of speaker or point of view- woman, man , objective, subjective, dialogue
Mark and label on poem—negative or positive—(- or +) images
Mark and label shifts in images, time, motion, tone, pronoun usage ("you" and "I" to "we")
Noting shifts helps you break a poem into sections; seeing sections helps you gain insight.
Note line breaks, interruption of meter
Figures of speech: metaphor, simile, paradox, etc...
Sound techniques: sounds—soft, slow, long sounds OR, harsh, staccato, quick
Note repetition, choice of diction
Specific characteristic of schools of poetry:
A. 16th,early 17th (Shakespeare, Marvell, Anne Bradstreet, ) Look for love as a topic—sometimes satiric, sometimes serious and adoring
B. Metaphysical/Spiritual of 16th, 17th c: (Milton, Donne) Look for irony, personification, other voices, changes in steady or formal meter
C. Romantics or 19th c. (Wordsworth, Shelley, Byron, Keats, Blake, E. Dickinson) Look for images of nature leading to the universal or spiritual experience or meaning
D. Dramatic poets/ Victorian (19th and early 20th c) R. Browning, T. Hardy, Tennyson Look for two voices, tone, monologue, some Christian sentiments, fate
D. Modern or 20th, 21st c. (mostly your chosen poets) Look for fleeting impressions, other voices, powerful images, uneven lines