Analysing Unseen Poetry

Point of View and Voice (start with this):
- How does the speaker talk to you, the reader?
- Can you trust what you are hearing?
- Do you sympathise with the speaker?
- Do they make you feel uncomfortable?

Rhythm:
- What can you say about the rhythm of the lines? What impact does this have?
- Are there frequent pauses or end-stopped lines that break up the lines?
- Does the poet use enjambment so that the lines, images or arguments flow coherently together?

Diction:
- What can you say about the words used (e.g. simple? ordinary? unusual? old fashioned? hard to understand? official sounding? conversational? child-like? contemporary?)
- How do the words combine together? What impact do they have?

Sound:
-What can you say about the sounds of the words used? Listen to consonants and vowels
- Does the poet use assonance or alliteration in any way?
- Are there soft or hard sounds in the poem?
- Are there repetitions of sounds, words or phrases?
- Is sound rapid within the poem or are there moments when a sound lingers?

Structure:
- How are the words laid out on the page?
- Is the poem arranged in stanzas? Do these indicate changes in tone?

Content:
- What does the poem seem to be about?
- Does the poet use imagery? How does this contribute to tone?
- Does the poem leave you with questions?
- How does it make you feel?

WHY?? and WHERE??