SWIFT NOTES - Poetry Analysis Technique

Front

S - Structure

Back

How is the poem organized? Consider narrative, compare/contrast, sequence, cause/effect, different perspectives, etc. Look at the lines, stanzas, and rhyme scheme. Identify the type of poem. Consider sound devices like alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia. Example: Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a narrative style that tells a story about how Paul Revere alerted the colonists of the British forces.

Front

W - Word choice/tone

Back

Look at emotionally-charged and powerful words. Consider the connotation of words and how these words relate to tone.

Front

I - Imagery

Back

Think of what pictures come to mind when you read the poem, and which words conjure that image. Consider what vivid language appeals to your senses (sight, taste, sound, touch, smell). Example: The kitten tiptoed through the sunlight pooling on the hardwood floor then curled up in my lap, tucking his fuzzy tail neatly under my elbow.

Front

F - Figurative language

Back

Identify figurative language such as simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification, idiom, analogy. Explain how that figurative language impacts the theme of the poem and the audience. Example: The hyperbole emphasizes the tone because...

Front

T - Theme

Back

Think about the message the author wants to send to the audience. Come up with a statement about life that can be understood and applied universally to people no matter their race, age, gender, etc. Example: True friendship means not caring about differences.