English Coursework: How to evaluate a poem
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009Writing a critical appreciation of poetry is one of the most common essay assignments you will encounter in your English coursework. Though the rules applied in critical evaluation of poetry differs widely with respect to the author and the text under study yet it is not difficult to make a comprehensive essay format which can be universally applied. The art of understanding and explaining a poem is essential in writing a good English essay.
Essential Features in writing a critical appreciation of a poem.
About the author and historical Influences: When we read a poem we are unconsciously governed by our prior knowledge and experience. It could be with respect to the author of the text or the author’s placement in the literary and historical canon. It is thus essential to bring them into account when evaluating poetry. For example: If you are writing a critical appreciation of a poem by William Wordsworth, it must be in the light of the Romantic era to which he belonged. Similarly, any biographical influence and role of nature in his poetry cannot be ignored.
Features of the author’s oeuvre: Works of some authors can be neatly categorized. Look for the features peculiar to the author’s writing style. For example: When evaluating a poem by John Donne look for the metaphysical features common to his oeuvre and refer to them in your Theme of the poem: A first casual reading will tell you what is the poem about. Find out the poem’s main theme, subject, persona, underlying idea and message.
Form of the Poem: In your second reading look for the form of the poem, whether it is a sonnet, a lyric, an ode or an elegy. Find out the rhyme scheme and the meter in which the poem is written. Explain how the author’s choice of meter and form of poetry is appropriate to the subject.
Structure of the Poem: Explore the patterns created by the formal elements of the poem. Is there any underlying implications referred with the use of imagery, symbols, metaphors? Look for other literary and rhetorical devices such as refrain, alliteration, assonance used by the author for emphasis.
Compare and Contrast: Remember to compare and contrast the poem with other poems of the same author, or poems with similar theme. Explain how the subject has been treated differently by different authors over a period of time.
The above stated critical analysis methodology can be successfully applied to authors of the classical and romantic era. It is widely known as biographical criticism where the poet’s life and its influence is traced in his work. For the auto telic works of most of the modern writers it becomes essential to omit the first two steps and focus more on the form of the poem than on the external factors. However a close reading of the poem’s text is fundamental to any analysis of poetry and thus should be applied to all kind of English coursework or essay writing that demands critical appreciation of a literary text.
