Poetry In-Depth
Close reading, figurative language, tone, mood
In-Depth Poetry Analysis
Grade 11 poetry analysis demands close reading skills. You must analyse how poets use figurative language, sound devices, structure, and form to create meaning. The focus is on explaining the effect of techniques, not merely identifying them. You should also discuss the poet's purpose and the poem's relevance.
Example
Close Reading in Practice
Consider the line: 'The sea is a hungry dog, / Giant and grey.'
(from 'The Sea' by James Reeves)
Extended metaphor: The sea is compared to a dog throughout the poem.
Personification: 'hungry' gives the sea a living quality.
Adjectives: 'Giant and grey' create a visual image of power and bleakness.
Effect: The reader feels the sea's immense, uncontrollable force.
Always move from identification → quotation → effect.
Note
Unseen Poetry Preparation
Although you study set poems, exams may include unseen poems. Approach them systematically:
1. Read the poem three times (literal, then deeper).
2. Identify the speaker, subject, mood, and tone.
3. Highlight figurative language and structural features.
4. Formulate the theme.
5. Answer questions using PEE: Point, Evidence (quote), Explanation of effect.
Key Vocabulary
Extended metaphorA metaphor that continues over several lines or an entire poem
Sound deviceTechniques using sound: alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, rhyme
CaesuraA pause in the middle of a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation
Free versePoetry that does not follow a regular rhyme scheme or metre
VoltaA turn or shift in thought, especially in a sonnet
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Extended metaphor
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