Poetry is immediately recognisable by its layout: text arranged in lines and stanzas rather than continuous paragraphs. The lines do not run to the edge of the page.
There may be a title, an author attribution, and sometimes a date or collection reference. The language is typically more compressed and figurative than prose.
First Steps With an Unseen Poem
Read the poemat least twice. The first reading gives you an overall impression: what is the poem about, what is its tone, what feelings does it create?
The second reading lets you notice specific choices: unusual words, line breaks, sound patterns, shifts in tone or subject.
Mark moments that surprise you, confuse you, or seem particularly deliberate. These are usually the richest moments for analysis.
Note
Do not panic if you do not understand every line on first reading.
Poetry is designed to reward close reading and re-reading.
Start with what you do understand and build outward.
Active recall
Name three features that identify this literary form.
Which feature provides the strongest evidence for identification?
How would you distinguish it from a related literary form?
