On the Artful Explication of Poetry

One of the main purposes of this blog, a purpose that I have somewhat neglected, was to analyze poets and their works. As this school year draws to a close, and this post may well be my last post on this site. I thought that, for a farewell post, it would be appropriate to leave you, dear reader, with some of the basic tools I have used to analyze poetry throughout the course of this year.

In my AP Literature class, I was taught a seven step poetry explication process. The process can be somewhat tedious, but I have found it to be reliable and beneficial when seeking to deepen my understanding of a piece. In this post, I shall outline the seven steps of the explication process. I do hope you find them as helpful as I have.

#1 Read the Poem Completely Without Marking it

This step is meant to expose you to the poem completely without the obstruction of attempting to comprehend everything about the poem, or anything at all. Simply absorb the piece in its entirety and develop a gut reaction to the piece. Try not to get stuck on tricky syntax or obscure word choice.

#2 Write a Reaction at the Bottom of the Piece

At the bottom of the piece, record the gut reaction you developed earlier. Try not to worry if this reaction turns out to be wrong upon further examination, this is just to put an initial thought down, and start you rolling in the comprehension process.

#3 Read to Understand; Be sure to keep the Title in Mind

In this step, it is appropriate to begin delving deeper into the poem. Examine diction and syntax. Feel free to separate sentences out of the poem, whether they branch stanzas or are contained within a stanza. look for patterns, and motifs. On top of this, be sure to examine to poem's tone and look at words who could have multiple definitions to be sure you have determined the appropriate meaning of a word or passage. During this step, always keep the title in mind, because without fail it pertains heavily to the meaning of the poem. I often write notes from this step in the poem or in the left margin, however there is no 'correct' way to record notes.

#4 Paraphrase Notes

Here is where it is appropriate to begin developing ideas about the meaning of the poem again. Take a look at notes from the last step, when you were rooting around in the weeds. Now look at the poem overall. Rereading the poem is appropriate for this step. Examine the whole structure, how it all flows and how each part plays together. I often write these notes off to the right side.

#5 Poetic Devices

In this step, list two to three poetic devices that stand out in the poem. Honestly, you may list as many as you wish. This step helps in discussion of the piece, and further analysis, to be able to quickly determine what devices create certain tones or effects in the reader's experience. It also trains the eye for future poetic examination. This is a valuable skill, and though it can be tedious, it is not to be skipped.

#6 Theme

This step relies heavily on steps three and four, look back on notes for each step. From them, try to determine the the message the poet is attempting to communicate, the story they are trying to tell, or the theme of the piece. Often a good question to ask is, "What do the poem say about....?" Feel free to reread the poem.

#7 Reaction/Talk about It

Finally, develop a final reaction. Look at notes, and reread the poem one last time. From these sources, develop a final reaction, and assert the message you believe the poem is trying to communicate. After you have done this, I strongly encourage discussing the poem with a peer. Discussing literature is a marvelous way to deepen understanding of a piece, and to open the mind to new interpretations.

These seven steps are excellent guidelines for poetry analysis. They lead a reader through formalist analysis of the poem, and allow room for personal interpretation. This allows a reader to make well informed assertions, with the material to back up their claims. Occasionally the use of this process requires additional research, as when a reader uncovers a phrase that alludes to some obscure piece of literature or highly specialized piece of knowledge. I have always found these discoveries exciting and fascinating. It is my great hope that whatever this explication process leads you to uncover will prove the same.

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