How to get the most out of poetry (close reading exercise)!

Written by Edith Powell

www.linkedin.com/in/edith-powell-530973290

Heading into a degree in English Literature, I had encountered poetry a few times before. I had read Carol Ann Duffy, Philip Larkin and the various options on my GCSE curriculum. As much as I enjoyed studying these poems, I never found poetry as powerful, accessible, or as important as after I started my degree. 

Technical aspects of poetry, such as scansion and rhythm, can be difficult. In my first semester, we were asked to note every rise and fall of a beat in a poem and it was one of the most confusing things I have done at university. Some revel in the chance to find every structural and technical quirk of poetry and I admire these literary warriors. However, if you’re like me, poetry seems a bit daunting when you start off.

For the average joe, poetry is something to read once, give a shrug and move on. In some cases, perhaps even relate to some of the prose. Particularly in the age of fast dopamine rushes from social media, I can admit how easy it is to skim read poems and forget about them. Why sit down and think when I can scroll on tiktok? (Follow us on TikTok @Writtenoffbooks, obviously).

However, poetry was genuinely transformed for me when I learnt the value of close reading. 

It's a wonderful phenomena that surprisingly, I was never taught fully in GCSE or A-level English but I think would have helped my journey with poetry. So, I’m here as your saving grace to restore your dopamine receptors and help you get the absolute most out of poetry, in a time when perhaps we need it more than ever.

Without further ado, here are all the wonderful secrets that English professors love to keep quiet!

1. Read the poem out loud

This may sound silly or stupid. It may feel silly or stupid. But if you sit down, skim a poem and it doesn’t instantly click for you (it doesn’t for anyone), try taking a breath and reading each line purposefully and confidently out loud. This isn’t to say that you have to stand up on a bus and recite sonnets but it's a crucial step, especially when dipping your toes in for the first time. When you’re alone, switch off your music or tv, sit down and simply start by reading out the title. I often forget to do this and sometimes, it can completely transform the poem, other times, it simply gives you a good starting point. 

Next, calmly and slowly read the poem out loud, focusing on each word, how it feels in your mouth, and how it makes you feel in relation to the other words. Take a breath between each line. 

When you’re done, do it again. 

2. Think about the poem as a whole

Think about how the poem is structured. Is it in neat stanzas? Does it rhyme? Is it a free verse? What is the punctuation doing? How does it sound when you read it? What are the first and last lines? Are there any words repeated? Don’t be afraid to reread or rethink. 

Think about any strong themes that are being conveyed. 

Then we can start to think about why?

3. How does this make me feel?

In relation to the themes you have identified, how does it make you feel, or how would you feel in the position of the narrator? Is it a more abstract feeling? Or does it make sense? 

4. How is the poem doing it?

I know it's scary, but often rhythm is in an attempt to heighten language and aid in a feeling. Try reading the poem out loud again and seeing if it sounds melodic. See where the natural stresses are in language and why the poet would want these stresses when being read. It might sound like a heartbeat, someone walking, a clock ticking. 

How is the poem achieving the effect it has on you? If it is still confusing, focus on words or phrases that intrigue you and consider why the poet has chosen those words specifically. What comes to mind when you hear this phrase and how many different perspectives could this add to the poem? Don’t be afraid to feel like you’ve got it wrong. Sometimes, the first thought is actually the best. 

If you’re an english buff or even remember GCSEs, think about different language devices - alliteration, metaphor, assonance, hyperbole etc. This is the crucial how that will help in your understanding of the poem and how it functions. It’s not a hidden secret, mocking you for not understanding, it's something that needs time to unwrap layer after layer. 

5. What is the poem trying to say?

This is a chance to do a bit of googling if you need. If the poem was about something you have never heard of or don’t know much about, have a look online to see what you can learn. How does this impact your understanding of the poem? Could it bring out a whole new meaning?

Try googling any words you don’t know or even the poet themselves and look for common themes. See how other people have understood the poem and how this can add to or affect your reading. Poetry is as much about the conversations it produces as it is about the individual understanding. 

After this, you can now think for yourself what the poem is trying to say. Is it trying to relay an experience? A feeling? A story? A message? Where are the nuances? Is it trying to say complex, contradictory ideas? 

Above all, how have you understood this poem with the context and time spent reading it? 

Summary 

At its most effective, poetry can reshape how you think about emotions, events or life. It can put words to feelings and experiences you have had but never been able to articulate. It always feels daunting at first because many poems attempt to say a lot in a few words, attempting to say abstract things in the confinement of language. For the power poetry can have, sometimes we need to give it a bit of time from our hectic lives and then, something magical might happen.