Poetry Analysis

No-one can dispute that poetry is written to be enjoyed. It is an intense form of expression in which words and images are very carefully chosen to appeal to the emotions. Looking carefully at how and why a poet has written leads to a greater appreciation of the poem. All of this is true, but the main concern of a student is writing for accreditation. No matter how uplifting or thought-provoking a piece of poetry on an exam paper may be, it is still an item for assessment.

Poetry is set as part of most examinations for English Literature. This means the students must read and dissect poems, and construct intelligent critiques which show that they understand the workings of poetry. This book looks at the techniques used to construct poetry and concentrates on the text-centred technical aspects of poetry.

This workbook is aimed at all upper secondary students. It will endeavour to provide an extension to the standard textbook one-or-two chapters on poetry.

The idea is to widen student's appreciation of poetry and offer some ideas for the 'additional texts of their own choosing' specified in the HSC syllabus. Only those genres and types of poetry which have more widespread appeal have been covered; the book does not attempt to be an overview of everything poetry has to offer.

All the sections are free-standing to allow you to use as much or as little as required.

The final few chapters offer a routine for students to practise which will allow them to move beyond the issue of essay structure when constructing critiques. They will be able to rely on a practised method and concentrate on appreciating poetry.