“There is no one, right interpretation of a poem - - but there is one which is more right than any of the others.”

n  M. H. Abrams

Poetry might be defined as a kind of language that says more and says it more intensely than ordinary language does. To understand this fully, we need to understand what poetry says.

Advanced Placement questions on poetry require that you answer the critical questions “what” and “how”: What is the message or content the poem communicates? How does the poet use language resources to communicate this content? Writers should be able to demonstrate the meaning of a term through the interpretation of the text.

To thoroughly understand a poem, you should be able to view it and read it from three different viewpoints:

n  The first level - the literal reading of the poem is the discovery of what the poem is about. Use only the text:

Vocabulary

Structure

Imagery

Poetic devices

n  The second level – builds on the first and draws conclusions from the connotation of the form and content and the interpretation of symbols.

n  The third level - refers to your own reading and interpretation of the poem. Here, you apply the processes of levels one and two, and you bring your own context or frame of reference to the poem. Your interpretation must be supported by the text of the poem.

When you read a poetry selection, check first to see if the poem is an extended metaphor. If you recognize this common poetry technique, it can be the key that unlocks the poem’s meaning.

Writing about Poetry

Before you begin to organize your essay...

Ø  Read the poem several times noting its structure, meter, recurring images, themes, rhyme scheme—anything and everything that creates an effect.

Ø  Paraphrase the poem making sure you understand the language of the poem. Poetry, particularly that from other literary periods, often contains confusing syntax or vocabulary. Put the lines or phrases that are especially difficult into your own words. RESIST the temptation to skip over the lines or phrases which seem unintelligible; these can be the most crucial parts of the poem.

Ø  Analyze the poem paying special attention to the elements that work together to create special effects. Look beyond the surface meaning of the words and start to think about how the techniques used in the poem add depth to its meaning. How do the elements work together? Do they complement each other, or do they create tension or both? Think in terms of cause and effect and look for relationships within the poem.

Consider the following questions as you explicate poetry:

n  Speaker and Tone

1.  Who is the speaker? (Consider age, sex, personality, frame of mind, and tone of voice) Is the speaker defined fairly precisely or is the speaker simply a voice meditating?

2.  Do you think the speaker is fully aware of what he or she is saying, or does the speaker unconsciously reveal his or her personality and values?

3.  Is the speaker narrating or reflecting on an earlier experience or attitude? If so, does he or she convey a sense of new awareness, such as of regret for innocence lost?

n  Audience

1.  To whom is the speaker speaking?

2.  What is the situation, including time and place? (In some poems, a listener is strongly

implied, but in others, especially those in which the speaker is meditating, there may be no

audience other than the reader, who overhears the speaker.)

n  Structure and Form

  1. Does the poem proceed in a straightforward way, or at some point does the speaker reverse the course, altering his or her tone or perception? If there is a shift, what do you make of it?

2.  Does the poem’s form-its overall structure-follow an established pattern? What is the effect on the overall meaning of the poem?

n  Center of Interest and Theme

1.  What is the poem about?

2.  Is the theme stated explicitly or implicitly? How might you state the theme in a sentence?

n  Diction

1.  How would you characterize the language of the poem?

2.  Do certain words have rich and relevant associations that relate to other words and define the speaker or the theme or both?

3.  What is the role of figurative language, if any? How does the figurative language contribute to poem’s meaning? Does it help to define the speaker or the theme?

4.  What do you think is to be taken figuratively or symbolically, and what literally?

5.  What is the style?

6.  Is irony used? What kind?

n  Sound Devices

1.  What is the role of sound effects, including repetitions of sound and of entire words, and shifts in versification?

2.  If there are unexpected stresses or pauses, what do they communicate about the speaker’s experience?

Comparing/Contrasting Two Poems

The first steps you take when you compare two poems are essentially the same as those necessary for an analysis. In addition, you need to begin any comparison with a clear idea of why you are comparing these two particular poems (the AP prompt will direct you). Do they have the same theme? Was one used as a basis for the other? Do they demonstrate two conflicting ideas? Do they both use the same allusions? There are any number of possibilities, and the terms of comparison will determine, to a certain extent, the questions you will want to answer. You have freedom in your interpretation of a poem as long as you base your assertions on the text.

If you are given two selections, consider the following:

v  What is the form or structure of the poems?

v  What is the situation or subject?

v  How are the poetic devices used?

v  What imagery is developed? Look for patterns.

v  What thematic statements are made?

v  What is the tone of each poem?

v  What is the organization or progression of each poem?

v  What attitudes are revealed?

v  What symbols are developed?

q  When comparing and contrasting poems, remember to consider speaker, subject, situation, devices, tone and theme.

The AP questions never directly ask: “What does this poem or passage mean?” They do want you to answer that question.

The classic AP essay question breaks down into two questions:
1.  What does the poem or passage mean?
2.  How does the author get you to see that?

Works Consulted

Bevilacqua, Mary. AP Literature and Composition. New York: Amsco School Publications, Inc., 2002.

Casson, Allan. English Literature & Composition. Foster City: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc.,

2001.

Rankin, Estelle. 5 Steps to a 5. New York: McGraw Hill, 2002.

Rozakis, Laurie. Master the AP English Literature & Composition Test. New Jersey: Thomson Arco,

2002.

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