This is going to sound overwhelming, but it won't be after the first time.

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HOW TO READ POETRY: THE PROCESS

Identify the kind of poem:

Is it a sonnet? That means is is probably about love.

A haiku? That means it is probably about nature.

2. Translate the poem and find the meaning of words you don't know. This can take some time, but it will help so much when you are trying to answer questions about the poem.

3. Give the poem another look, and this time look for punctuation. Periods, exclamation points and question marks change the meaning of the lines.

4. Read the poem. Sometimes reading aloud to yourself can help make it more understandable. Write down what you think the poem means as a whole. If you’re reading with a longer poem, write down what you think it means by stanza or by part.

Bonus step: Literary devices! Okay, so I’m a nerd for literary devices. They are the lovely spices that make poetry delicious. There are hundreds of them. Now that you understand the surface meaning of the poem, go back (preferably with a pen or even a highlighter), and find a few in your poem. Label them. Figure out how they add to the deeper meaning of the poem. In the best poems, the literary devices add a layer that points back to the poet’s overall message for the piece.

Now, go to the quiz and show me if you learned the steps.