Review

Summarising Poetry

When studying poetry, we are interested in how composers make their work memorable, and how we can use these techniques when composing our own pieces. 

The most useful thing we can do when studying a poem is read it out loud. As we do this, we should listen carefully for any  rhythm, meter, and rhyme. To help keep track of these techniques, we can make annotations for feet, stressed and unstressed syllables, and caesura. We should also see whether a poet is using enjambment to 'pull' the recital from one line to the next.

Once we have a feel for the sound of a poem, we can start to consider its meaning; that is, the underlying theme the poet is hoping the audience will engage with. 

To help with this, we should pay attention to the words which land on stressed syllables, and which words form rhymes throughout a piece. In addition, we should check for words or phrases which are repeated, and language which evokes a sense of euphony or cacophony. 

Because the how of a poem is as important as the what, we should always look for ways a poet synthesises language and sound to create a memorable experience for the audience. 

Poets, singers and rappers have profound things to say, and they do so in creative and evocative ways: it is worth our taking the time to understand and appreciate their compositions.

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Poetry Guide