Some people think that when you're interpreting a poem, you're trying to figure out what the poet intended. Others say that you can't ever be sure what the poet intended. Instead of reaching for either, try to come up with intelligent ways to account for the feelings the poem gives you when you read it. Try to explain what you think the poem is doing and how the poem does it.
When you interpret poetry, you do the same thing you do when you interpret anything:
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Speak about literary devices and how their use affects the meaning of the poem |
CHECK OUT: POETRY "REFERENCE TABLES" PDF FILE
(there are many…imagery, assonance, alliteration, rhyme scheme, and many, many more!)
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Understand the explicit, literal meaning.(surface meaning – what happens in the poem) |
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Consider what's implied, unsaid, or suggested -- often by asking attentive questions about the poem. (What else does it mean? Why did the poet say that?) |
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Build an interpretation based on your speculations about what's implied. (hidden meaning) |
Hint: use the phrase: “What the poem might actually be about is….”
One such criticism model walks the reader through the poem with questions and suppositions, giving personal responses and building an understanding as the poem progresses.
See the model criticism PDF file
