Before you begin the pre-writing, make sure to read the
poem through several times for general understanding. As you're reading the poem, underline parts that seem
significant to you. Then write
answers to the following questions:
Look up any words that you don't understand or that seem especially important, even words you might think you know but aren't 100% sure of their meaning. Write down the definitions for those words.
Write a paraphrase the poem in normal, everyday language to make sure you understand how it progresses.
Determine what you think the tone of the poem is and explain why. What features make you think the tone is the way that it is?
Determine any patterns of diction—what words have significant connotations? Are there any patterns to the types of words used (i.e., legal diction, etc.)? Is the level of diction important to the poems meanings?
After you have a basic understanding of the poem, see if you can state the poem's theme. Remember to state it in the correct form. If you can't state the theme yet, go on to the next steps.
Look for examples of imagery in the poem. Break your examples up into groups—visual, auditory, etc. Also, see if there is another pattern to the images—do they all have to do with nature, machines, animals, or what?
Is there any figurative language in the poem? Make lists of each kind (similes, metaphors, personification). Make sure you can identify the two parts—the vehicle is the object/activity used to represent the tenor or the thing actually represented. For example, if the metaphor is My English teacher is a pig, the vehicle is the pig (that's what is used to talk about or represent the teacher) and the teacher is the tenor, that's the thing you're really talking about.. Make sure to explain why the poet uses the particular comparisons and how it seems to help develop the main point of the poem.
Identify any symbols in the work. Why do you think the objects are symbols and what do they represent?
If you haven't yet stated a theme, go ahead and do that now. Make sure to put it in the proper form.
Next, explain what details in the poem are most important in developing the theme Don't worry about what device category these details might fit into at this point, but just focus on the words that really help you understand the theme.
After you've identified the important words/phrases, see if you can classify them as particular elements. Explain why you think these details function as a particular element.
Finally, formulate a thesis statement based on your discoveries. Remember, the question you're supposed to answer for this assignment is: how does the poet use 2-3 devices to develop a theme in the poem?