Writing Analysis of a Poem

Workshop You have seen how the literary elements of a poem work together to contribute to
informative text the poems meaning. In this workshop, you will examine a poem of your choice and
will present your findings in an analysis.

Complete the workshop activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

write with a purpose common core traits

writing task 1. development of ideas
Write an essay in which you analyze a poem. Help your audience presents an engaging introduction
understand the poets use of stylistic elements. develops a controlling idea that
offers an analysis of the authors
Idea Starters
style
a poem in this book
supports main points of analysis
a poem by a local poet
with relevant details and
regional poetry from a favorite state or country
quotations from the text
poetry sites on the Internet
concludes with a summary of
the essentials main points and insights
Here are some common purposes, audiences, and formats for a 2. organization of ideas
literary analysis. organizes ideas in a logical way
uses varied transitions and
purposes audiences formats syntax to create cohesion and
to share your classmates and essay for class connect ideas
analysis of a teacher blog 3. language facility and
poem parents conventions
message board
to offer literary club posting establishes and maintains a
insight into members formal style and objective tone
literary review in
the theme uses precise language and
blog readers school newspaper
and literary defines domain-specific
techniques of podcast script
vocabulary
a poem punctuates quotations correctly
employs correct grammar, usage,
and spelling

Writing
Writing
Online
Online
Go
Go to
to thinkcentral.com.
thinkcentral.com.
KEYWORD:
KEYWORD: HML12N-270
HML11-280

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 Writing Workshop
W 2af Write informative/explanatory texts to examine
complex ideas clearly and accurately through the effective

Planning/Prewriting selection, organization, and analysis of content. W 5 Develop

and strengthen writing as needed by planning.

Getting Started

choose a poem ask yourself:

To find a suitable poem, reread poems you have
enjoyed in the past, page through this book, or ask
others for a recommendation. Choose a poem of
twelve to twenty-five lines that is complex and rich
in meaning.
What is my initial reaction to the poem?
What is interesting about the poem?
What makes this poem rich or complex?

think about audience and purpose ask yourself:

In selecting a poem, keep in mind that your Who is my audience?
purpose is to analyze and share insights about What do I want my audience to know or think
the poem. Your analysis should enhance your about the work?
audiences appreciation of the poem, so consider How can I convey my own analysis of the text
your audiences prior knowledge when writing your to my audience?
analysis. How might others analyze the poem?

gather ideas tip

Read your poem several times, including a few times Each time you read the poem, look for a different
out loud, to discover its unique aspects. Each reading literary element. The chart below identifies
will provide you with new insights and a better elements and useful questions.
understanding of the poems literary elements. Look
for the following literary elements as you consider Element Analysis Questions
the focus of your analysis: Speaker * Who is the speaker?
Speaker: the voice that addresses the reader * Does the speaker narrate
Stylistic elements: the techniques a writer uses a story or describe a scene or
to control language and create effects, such as emotion?
diction (word choice), sound effects (rhyme, Style * How does diction affect the
rhythm, alliteration, and repetition), figurative poem?
language (metaphor, simile, and personification), * What sound effects does the
and imagery poet use?
Theme: an insight about the human experience * What figurative language does
Tone: the poets attitude toward the subject, the the poet use?
audience, or a character in the poem Theme * What is the poems main idea?
* Does the main idea reveal
something about human nature?
Tone * What attitude does the poet
express?

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 Planning/Prewriting continued

Getting Started
narrow your focus
Once you have an understanding of the
significant ideas in the poem and how the
literary elements help communicate those
ideas, you can decide which of those elements
are most significant.
ask yourself:
What elements dominate the poem?
How do these elements help to communicate the
poems meaning?
What domain-specific vocabulary, such as specialized
literary terms, will I need to define for readers so that
they can understand my analysis?

write a controlling idea what does it look like?

Write a controlling ideaone or two
sentences that identify the poems key
elements and sum up your insights about
how they work together to create meaning.
Important elements: imagery, figurative language
Major points: Imagery and figurative language are used to
reflect the emotions of the speaker.
Controlling idea: In Missing the Sea, poet Derek Walcott
uses images of absence and loss to express the agony of a
shore-bound sailor.

gather supporting evidence what does it look like?

Your analysis should include the most
significant and relevant textual evidence,
in the form of direct quotations or concrete
details from the poem, to support each of
your main points.
You must elaborate, or explain thoroughly,
how each piece of evidence supports your
points. Add depth to your analysis by
elaborating on the ambiguities, complexities,
and nuances that make good poetry rich and
meaningful.
Ambiguities are words or lines that may be
interpreted in different ways.
The house in the poem may be a symbol of the living.
Complexities are elements of the poem that may be
more difficult to analyze.
By comparing the absence of the wind to the death of a
loved one, Walcott emphasizes a deep longing for the sea.
Nuances are changes in the tone or meaning of the poem.
The tone shifts from harsh images to the lonely, quiet ones
of the unused clothes of the dead.

0%%22%6)%7 Share your controlling idea with a peer. Ask: What words or lines from the poem will help
support my analysis?

YOUR In your Reader/Writer Notebook, develop your writing plan and controlling idea.
Consider these tips as you gather evidence:
TURN
Reread the poem to find lines that contain key imagery.
Think about how your evidence supports your controlling idea. Be prepared to
adjust or revise your controlling idea as you analyze the evidence.

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 Writing Workshop
W 4 Produce clear and coherent writing appropriate
to task, purpose, and audience. W 9a (RL 1, 4) Draw

Drafting evidence from literary texts to support analysis; analyze

the impact of specific word choices on meaning and
tone. L 1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
The following chart shows a structure for organizing an standard English grammar and usage.
effective analysis.

Organizing Your Literary Analysis

introduction
Start with an attention-grabbing quotation or bold statement.
Introduce the poems author and title. State your controlling idea and key literary elements you will
discuss.

body
Organize ideas so that each new element builds on the preceding ones to create a unified whole.
Cite concrete details, quotations, and other evidence from the text to support your analysis.
Use varied transitions such as in addition, although, and too to link related ideas and create cohesion.
Maintain a formal style and objective tone by avoiding contractions and slang, choosing precise language,
and discussing the poem in a neutral, unbiased way.

concluding section
Restate your controlling idea, and summarize your main points.
Show how the poem relates to broader themes or experiences in life.

grammar in context: excerpting poetry

You will want to use excerpts from the poem as supporting evidence in your analysis. For help
excerpting poetry, study these guidelines and examples.

Quoting words, phrases, or clauses (up to one
line in length): Integrate the word, phrase,
or clause smoothly into your sentence,
setting off the quotation in quotation marks.
Quoting more than one line: Use a solidus,
a slash mark (/), with a space on both sides
to show line breaks.
Quoting more than two lines: An excerpt of
more than two lines is usually set off from
the text, either centered or indented. The
excerpt should use the same spacing as the
original. No quotation marks are used when
excerpts are set off in this way.
The poems speaker describes the wind as
something removed.
The silence is said to sound like the gnashing
of windmills ground / To a dead halt.
Walcott uses abstract imagery to express
the speakers feeling of numb isolation.
It hoops this valley, weighs this mountain,
Estranges gesture, pushes this pencil
Through a thick nothing now,

YOUR Develop a first draft of your analysis, following the structure outlined in the chart above.
As you write, be sure to follow the rules for excerpting poetry.
TURN
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 Revising
As you revise, evaluate the controlling idea, evidence, and organization of your
essay. Your goal is to determine if you have achieved your purpose and effectively
communicated your ideas to your intended audience. The questions, tips, and
strategies in the following chart will help you revise and improve your draft.

literary analysis
Ask Yourself Tips Revision Strategies

1. Does the introduction engage Put parentheses around the If necessary, add an engaging
the audience and introduce the engaging opening. Circle opening, such as a provocative
poem? the title of the poem and quotation or a bold statement. Add
the name of the author. the name of the poem and its author.

2. Does the introduction identify Highlight the controlling If needed, add a controlling idea and
the literary elements and state a idea. Bracket the literary identify the poems literary elements.
controlling idea? elements.

3. Is each point supported by well- Circle each piece of Add concrete details or quotations
chosen and relevant textual evidence. Draw an arrow to from the poem to bolster any
evidence, such as concrete the point it supports. unsupported points.
details and quotations?

4. Does the writing establish and Bracket contractions, slang, Replace informal or biased language
maintain a formal style and and biased language. with precise, objective text.
objective tone?

5. Are varied transitions and
syntax used to link ideas?
Place a check mark next to
each transitional word or
phrase. Draw a star next to
any consecutive sentences
that have the same
structures.
Add transitions where needed, or
replace transitions to create variety.
Vary the structures of starred
sentences.

6. Does the concluding section
restate the controlling idea and
make a connection between the
poem and life?
Highlight the sentence
restating the controlling
idea. Double-underline
the sentence or sentences
connecting the poem to life.
Add a sentence that restates the
controlling idea, or add a sentence
that connects the poem to life.

YOUR 0%%22%6)%7 Exchange your analysis with a classmate. As you
read and comment on your classmates essay, focus on the strength
TURN of the controlling idea and evidence. Give concrete suggestions for
improvement, using the revision strategies in the chart.
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 Writing Workshop
W 5 Develop and strengthen writing as
needed by revising, editing, rewriting, or
trying a new approach.
analyze a student draft
As you read this student draft, notice the comments on
its strengths as well as suggestions for improvement.

Life and Death

by Robert Scott, Sea View High School
Roberts introduction
1 Born in 1930 on the island of Saint Lucia, and later living in Jamaica identifies the poet
and Trinidad, the poet Derek Walcott reveals the influence of countless and poem but does
sailors in his poem Missing the Sea. The speaker laments the terrible not include a clear
controlling idea.
emptiness of a house when occupied by a person who loves the freedom
of the sea.
2 The poems speaker expresses his loss in images of sound or absence
of the sound of the wind. The wind is an effective synecdoche (using parts
to represent the whole) because it represents attributes associated with the
sea: water, salt, and vastness. Although absent from the house, this wind
becomes something removed [that] roars in the ears of this house. Strong Robert cites examples of
figurative language and
verbs (roars, hangs, stuns) describe a wind so strong it weighs this
defines domain-specific
mountain. Every image is harsh. Even those that emphasize the silence at vocabulary.
the same time create a grating noise, sound like the gnashing of windmills
ground / To a dead halt. An oxymoron is also used to illustrate its power:
a deafening absence, a blow. It is this absent force that propels the sailor-
poet to write his lament: pushes this pencil. The present state of the
housebound speaker is thick nothing now, emphasizing the negative and
empty conditions through alliteration.

,%!2.(/7 Add a Controlling Idea Although Roberts essay introduces the poet
and title of the poem, it does not include a clear controlling idea. His controlling
idea should connect the stylistic elements (imagery of absence and loss) to the
meaning of the poem (the expression of the agony of the land-bound sailor).

roberts revision to paragraph 1

The speaker laments the terrible emptiness of a house when occupied by a

person who loves the freedom of the sea.
In Missing the Sea, Walcott uses imagery of absence and loss to express the agony
of a shore-bound sailor.

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 analyze a student draft continued

The essay is arranged

3 In the last full stanza, Walcott uses the images of objects found in the sequentially, moving
house (silent cupboards and sour laundry), again using synecdoche. The from the poems
lack of sound is emphasized with the cupboard, and the negative sensory beginning to its end.
images continue with the laundry.
4 These domestic images grow even stronger through the simile of the Instead of providing
clothes of the dead. The deceased persons clothes are left exactly as in life. a direct quotation,
Robert paraphrases
So too, the memory of the sea occupies the mind of the speaker, exactly as
and elaborates on the
it did when he lived on the sea. He expects the sound of the wind but is left content of the last
bereft and incredulous at its absence, just as one would feel looking at the stanza.
clothes of a loved one who has passed away; the living, remaining person
expresses his grief at the sight, just as the poems speaker expresses his loss.
Roberts analysis could
By comparing the absence of the wind to the death of a loved one, Walcott
be improved by a more
emphasizes the depth of his passion and longing for the sea. effective concluding
section.

,%!2.(/7 Strengthen Your Concluding Section Roberts analysis ends abruptly

after his examination of the poems last stanza. For his essay to be effective, he
must restate his controlling idea, summarize the main points of the analysis,
and articulate a related insight about life or human nature. Notice how he
strengthened his analysis by adding a more effective concluding paragraph.

roberts revision to the concluding section

By comparing the absence of the wind to the death of a loved one, Walcott
emphasizes the depth of his passion and longing for the sea.
Even if readers have not experienced a sailors life, most have suffered the loss
of something or someone cherished. In Missing the Sea, Walcott uses vivid imagery
and strong figurative language to express the universal feeling of losing what you
love most.

YOUR Use the feedback from your peers and teacher as well as the two
Learn How lessons to revise, rewrite, or try a new approach to your
TURN essay as needed. Evaluate how well you conveyed your controlling idea
and addressed what is most significant for your specific purpose and
audience.

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 Writing Workshop
W 5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by editing.
L 2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard

Editing and Publishing English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

In the editing stage, you review your analysis to make sure that it is free of
grammar, spelling, usage, syntax, and punctuation errors. Mistakes can distract
your audience from focusing on your ideas.

grammar in context: punctuating quotations

Many of the quotations in your analysis may be fragments, or parts of a line or
sentence. As noted earlier, poetry excerpts of two lines or fewer are set off by
quotation marks.

In the last full stanza, Walcott uses the images of objects found in the house
(silent cupboards and sour laundry), again using synecdoche.
[The quotation fragment is integrated into the sentence and set off by quotation marks.]
marks.

Commas and periods are set inside the closing quotation mark.
Question marks and exclamation points are set inside the quotation mark
only if the quotation itself is a question or exclamation; if the question
mark or exclamation point applies to the overall sentence rather than the
quotation, the punctuation is set outside the end quotation mark.
Semicolons, colons, and dashes are always placed outside the closing
quotation mark.
As Robert edited his essay, he realized he had incorrectly punctuated a quotation.
The comma should be set inside the closing quotation mark.

The present state of the housebound speaker is thick nothing now ,

emphasizing the negative and empty conditions through alliteration.

publish your writing

Share your analysis with an audience.
Share your analysis with members of a literary circle who enjoy poetry.
Publish your analysis on a Web site devoted to the poet whose work you
analyzed.
Turn your analysis into an oral presentation and deliver it to your classmates.

YOUR Correct any errors in your analysis. Make sure that you connect your
evidence to your controlling idea. Edit carefully and make sure you have
TURN punctuated quotations correctly. Then, publish your final essay where
your audience is likely to see it.

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 Scoring Rubric
Use the rubric below to evaluate your analysis from the Writing Workshop or
your response to the on-demand task on the next page.

literary analysis
score common core traits
Development Has an engaging introduction; includes a controlling idea with an
insightful analysis of the poem; supports main points with significant, relevant
evidence; ends powerfully

6 Organization Arranges ideas in an effective, logical order; uses varied transitions and
syntax to create cohesion and link ideas
Language Consistently maintains a formal style; effectively uses precise language;
shows a strong command of conventions

Development Has an effective introduction; provides a controlling idea that offers

an original analysis of the poem; supports main points with evidence; has a strong

5 concluding section
Organization Arranges ideas logically; uses transitions and syntax to link ideas
Language Maintains a formal style; uses precise language; has a few errors in conventions

Development Has an introduction that could be more engaging; includes a controlling

idea that states an analysis of the poem; could use some more evidence; has an

4 adequate concluding section

Organization Arranges ideas logically; could vary transitions more
Language Mostly maintains a formal style; needs more precise language at times; has
a few distracting errors in conventions

Development Has an adequate, though not memorable, introduction; has a controlling

idea that makes an obvious statement about the poems meaning; lacks sufficient

3 support; has a routine concluding section

Organization Has some flaws in organization; needs more transitions to link ideas
Language Frequently lapses into an informal style; uses some vague word choices; has
some significant errors in conventions

Development Has a weak introduction and a controlling idea that does not relate to
the writing task; lacks specific evidence; has a weak concluding section

2 Organization Has organizational flaws; lacks transitions throughout

Language Uses an informal style and vague language; has many errors in conventions

Development Has no introduction or controlling idea; offers unrelated points as

evidence; ends abruptly

1 Organization Includes a string of disconnected ideas with no overall organization

Language Uses an inappropriate style and language; has major problems with
conventions

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 Writing Workshop
W 10 Write routinely over
shorter time frames for a

Preparing for Timed Writing range of tasks, purposes, and

audiences.

1. analyze the task 5 min

Read the task carefully. Then, read it again, noting the words that tell the
topic, the audience, and the purpose.
writing task
The plots of most stories and novels are set into motion by the conflict, or problem,
Topic
experienced by the main character. Think of a conflict from a story or novel you have
Audience
read. Then, write an analysis explaining to classmates whether the conflict is internal or

external and how it affects the plot and theme of the work. Purpose

2. plan your response 10 min

Once you have decided on a work of fiction and identified its main conflict,
ask yourself these questions:
Is the conflict external (caused by outside forces, events, or characters) or
internal (caused by the characters opposing needs, emotions, or desires)?
How does the conflict move the action forward?
How is the conflict resolved?
What theme does the author suggest through the resolution of the conflict?

3. respond to the task 20 min

Begin your draft by writing your controlling ideaa statement about the conflict
and its effect on the plot and theme of the fictional work. Then, do the following:
Organize your response in sequential order, discussing the events as they occur
in the work.
Provide evidencedetails from the textto support your controlling idea.
Elaborate on how each piece of evidence supports your controlling idea.
Conclude your essay with a discussion of how the resolution affects the theme.

4. improve your response 510 min

Revising Check your draft against the task. Does your draft clearly state a controlling
idea about the conflict and its effect on the fictional work as a whole? Does it provide
sufficient evidence? Do you end with an insight into the fictional work and its theme?
Proofreading Find and correct any errors in grammar, usage, syntax, and spelling.
Make sure that your paper and any edits are neatly written and legible.
Checking Your Final Copy Before you submit your paper, examine it once more to
make sure that you are presenting your best work.

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 Speaking & Presenting an Analysis
Listening Writing an analysis about a poem probably helped you gain new insight into the
Workshop poem. Now you can share your understanding with your classmates by adapting
your essay for an oral presentation. In presenting your ideas to listeners rather than
readers, you can use your voice as well as your body language to make your points.

Complete the workshop activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

speak with a purpose common core traits

task
Adapt your essay into a formal speech,
demonstrating an appropriate command
of formal English grammar and usage
when speaking. Practice your speech, and
then present it to your class.
a strong oral analysis . . .
conveys a clear perspective and supports it with
sufficient, relevant evidence
is appropriate to the purpose and audience
uses an effective blend of verbal and nonverbal
techniques to communicate key points

Adapt Your Essay

SL 3 Evaluate a speakers
point of view, reasoning, and
use of evidence. SL 4 Present
information, findings, and
evidence, conveying a clear
perspective. SL 6 Adapt
speech to a variety of tasks.
L 1 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English.
Speaking &
Listening Online
Go to thinkcentral.com.
KEYWORD: HML12-280
You will need to reorganize your material to make your analysis clear to listeners.
Focus your oral presentation on the most important points about the literary
elements you analyzed in your essay. Use these suggestions as you develop your
presentation.
Introduction Add an element of drama by
beginning with an interesting quotation from the work
stating an anecdote about the work or its author
making a provocative comment about the work
Body Keep your listeners attention by
reading aloud many lines from the poem
focusing on only the most important points of your
original analysis
Concluding Make a lasting impression on listeners by
Section framing a final observation in the context of a universal
theme
ending with a dynamic quotation from the poem

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 Deliver Your Speech
prepare note cards
To speak effectively, you need to sound as natural and relaxed as possible. Rather than
memorizing your presentation, use the following steps to help you prepare for your speech.
Step 1 Make concise notes on note cards.
Step 2 In your notes, write down key words and phrases about the main points
in your analysis.
Step 3 Write down the quotations, details, and other evidence from the work that you will be
presenting to support your analysis, and make sure you can read them.
Step 4 Arrange your note cards in the right order for a smooth presentation.

use verbal and nonverbal techniques

Verbal and nonverbal techniques can make your presentation more effective. Use the following
techniques to deliver an engaging presentation.
Pronunciation and Enunciation It is natural to be nervous when speaking to a group, so focus
on pronouncing words correctly. Speak clearly (enunciate) and speak at a natural pace so each
word is understandable.
Emphasis To get your main points across to your audience, change your tone and volume for
emphasis. Pausing is also an effective way to emphasize something you have just said. It allows
your listeners time to digest a point you made and lends suspense to a point you are about to make.
Facial Expressions and Gestures Change your facial expressions as you deliver your
presentation. A blank face is the physical equivalent of a monotone
e speaking
p g voice;; it
almost guarantees that your audience will tune out. Although you mmay ay not use hand
gestures when speaking casually, relaxed gestures can help emphasize
sizze your words
and make the presentation seem more natural.
Eye Contact Remember to make eye contact with members of your ourr audience.
Eye contact will engage your listeners and convey the message that
at you want
them to understand what you are saying.

YOUR As a Speaker Deliver your speech to a friend, making sure to
o
incorporate the verbal and nonverbal techniques described d on
o
TURN this page. Use your friends feedback to make adjustmentss too
your presentation and to improve your speaking skills.
As a Listener Evaluate a classmates delivery of his or her
analytical speech. Consider the speakers point of view and d
whether it is well-supported with evidence from the poem. m.
Listen carefully to see if you can follow the line of reasoning
g
among the speakers ideas, and note any places you feel lost. st.
Consider whether the speaker emphasizes his or her pointss with w
an appropriate tone and word choices.

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