Critiquing a Poem Outline

Analyzing & Critiquing a PoemName:

Type your responses about your poem for the following questions:

Title of Poem:

Author/Poet:

Looking at the SUBJECT

1. Why did you select this poem?

2. What does the title tell you about the poem?

3. What is your first impression of the poem? Do you like it? Why or why not?

4. What is the poem about? (What is the theme or subject of the poem?)

5. Tone: Do you think the author has a positive or negative attitude toward the subject? (Or a different feeling toward the subject of the poem?) Explain.

6. Do you think the poem has a purpose? What do you think it is? What do others (experts) think it is?

Looking at the CONTEXT

7. Does the author write about a person or event from history? Explain.

8. Does the author write about certain things from the past?

9. When was the poem written and/or published (year)?

10. What do you know about that time period?

11. Where was the poet living and what was he/she doing (working, going to school, etc.) at that time?

12. Do you think what was going on during that time period had anything to do with this poem? Explain.

Looking at FORM

13. Are there any divisions in the poem? (Spacing of lines, words, or letters; separate stanzas)

14. Does the poem rhyme?

15. If yes, how (every line, every other line, etc.)? Does it follow a particular rhyme scheme? If so, explain.

16. How does the form of the poem contribute to the meaning of it? (For example, does the rhyming contribute, or lack of a rhyme contribute to the meaning or the imagery?)

Looking at WORD CHOICE

17. List all the verbs (action words) from the poem.

18. Look at your list from #17. Are the words similar to one another or different?

WORD CHOICE, continued

19. Why do you think the author chose to use those particular words?

20. What do the words alone (just the list) tell you? (What does it make you think of?)

21. Are there any difficult or confusing words? List them.

22. Look up the definition of the difficult/confusing words & type them.

23. How do the definitions help your understanding of the poem?

24. What is the mood of the poem? Is it happy, sad, remorseful, reminiscent, etc.? Which words contribute to the overall mood?

25. Figurative Language: Does the poem use any comparisons of things using the words “like” or “as” (similes)?

26. Does the poem compare things without using like or as (metaphors)?

27. Does the poem use any exaggerations (hyperboles)?

28. Does the poem give non-human things human characteristics (personification)?

29. Symbolism: Is there anything in the poem that might symbolize something else? (Is the speaker using an analogy to express a deeper feeling or attitude?) If so, explain.

30. Sound Devices: Are there any words close together (within the same few lines) that start with the same letter or same sound, or end with the same ending (alliteration, consonance)? List below.

FINISHING UP

31. Ask yourself “So what?” about the poem. What is the point of it? Why do you think the author wrote it?

32. After researching and analyzing the poem, has your opinion of the poem changed at all? If so, how? If not, why not?

33. Do you think your classmates would like this poem? Why or why not?

34. Why is this poem relevant today? (Importance/impact.)

35. How will this poem be relevant in the future?

36. How does this poem inspire readers?

WORKS CITED

For every source you use, record the following information. If one of the items is unknown, leave blank. Make sure you search for the information; always check the “Contact Us” or “About Us” pages to help you:

WEBSITE

1. Web article’s author (last, first):

2. Title of the web article “in quotations”:

3. Date article was published:

4. Name of the webpage:

5. Name of the website (if varies):

6. Medium of publication (“Web.”):

7. Date you copied the picture or information:

8. Url:

OTHER ELECTRONIC/WEB

1. Author of source (last, first):

2. Title of the subject or article “in quotations”:

3. Date article was published or received:

4. Name of the website:

5. Date you copied or accessed the picture or information:

6. Medium of publication (such as “Email,” “Tweet,” “Web.”):

7. Url:

BOOK

1. Author’s name (last, first):

2. Book title-italics:

3. City of Publication:

4. Publisher:

5. Year of Publication:

6. Medium of publication (all hard copies will be listed as “Print.”):

When in doubt, use the following basic style guidelines for MLA online citations:

1. Author and/or editor names (if available)

2. Article name in quotation marks (if applicable)

3. Title of the Website, project, or book in italics. (Remember that some Print publications have Web publications with slightly different names. They may, for example, include the additional information or otherwise modified information, like domain names [e.g. .com or .net].)

4. Any version numbers available, including revisions, posting dates, volumes, or issue numbers.

5. Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.

6. Take note of any page numbers (if available).

7. Medium of publication.

8. Date you accessed the material.

9. URL (if required, or for your own personal reference; MLA does not require a URL).

Putting it all together…

• On a separate sheet of paper, being to write your answers for each # into sentence form WITHOUT numbering the sentences. When you switch from one section (like “SUBJECT”) to the next section (“CONTEXT”), start a new paragraph. Make sure to add appropriate TRANSITIONS from one paragraph to another.

• The finals steps will be writing an introduction (coming up with a “hook”) and a closing paragraph (the “FINISHING UP” section can be part of your conclusion/closing paragraph). These seem to be the hardest, so brainstorm as a group to come up with creative ideas to open your paper. Think about...

• what type of person is your poet?

• what is the meaning or message of the poem?

• why you liked or didn’t like it.

• a symbol or image from the poem that stands out.

• Watch this video to get ideas for a “hook”:

• TYPING… You should:

-Have a title page with the title, your name, class title, date

-Double Space

-Use 12 pt. font

-Include a picture or two

-Include a copy of your poem after the title page

-Tell me where you found your information about your poet by “citing” your source within the paper (see the MLA guidelines):

(Example: According to the Poets.org website, Gwendolyn Brooks grew up in Chicago.)

-Include a Works Cited page.

Date Due:

Directions for turning in:

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Helpful websites:

For MLA guidelines:

Sample essays:

Grading Guidelines

Based on the Common Core State Standards for Writing, grades 11-12

Grading Guidelines

Based on the Common Core State Standards for Writing, grades 9-10