Poetry Close Reading

Poetry as a Close Read

When I was a student, poetry was the literacy genre that I hated the most. Why? Most of the poetry used was dry, confusing, or too hard. I don´t really remember being taught how to read it or what the elements of poetry were for. 

But now, poetry has become more enjoyable for kids. The topics are rich, sometimes funny, and also thought-provoking. 

At my school, poetry is a favorite unit. We look forward to it and read it every month. 

Structures of poetry

We spend time learning about the structures of poetry such as rhythm, rhymes, alliterations, and stanzas.  This is part of our first read.  This helps us to practice fluency and prosody as we read. Some ways to practice are choral reading, partner reads, and independent reads. 

imagery: 

Next, we analyze the meaning of the poems.  I usually start by discussing the imagery in the poem.  This happens in your 2nd and 3rd reads. 

• What words evoke your senses? Sight? Smell? Touch? Sounds? Taste?  We search for sensory words in the text, often acting them out or drawing images. 
• Which words evoke your emotions? How does the character or narrator feel? How do the words make you feel? 

Figurative Language. Often imagery involves figurative language.  Spend some time exploring types and meanings of figurative language in the text: 

• Onomatopoeia - words that sound like the sound they represent
• Simile - comparing things using like and as
• Metaphor - comparing two things NOT using like and as
• Personification - when you make a non-living object have human thoughts or characteristics
• Hyperbole - great exaggerations 

Meaning hidden in Repetition

     Something I hand really taken the time to appreciate until recently is how poets use words to hide their true meaning or main idea.  I used to think that repeating words were how the poet used rhythm and repetition.  And in part, that is true. But if you look deeper, and really pick out the words that are repeated, you can find out what the poetś main message is. 

Letś explore: 

First Read

The rhythm of this poem is a 4 - 3 poem. Try reading it and patting your legs as you read it aloud. Can you feel the 4-3 rhythm? 

How many stanzas does it have? When we analyze it for imagery, we will look at each stanza individually. 

Does it have any rhyming words? Do the rhyming words share the same spelling pattern for the sound? Note how the long o sound is spelled two ways - o, ow.

                                        Second Read

Imagery - Read the poem aloud a second time. What do you see in your head? Sometimes, we ask students to draw what they imagine in their heads as we reread it. Our students love to sketch notes and write their own notes and images. 

This poem evokes sensory words and emotion more than figurative language. 

Sight: track mud on the floor, flop upon your bed at night

Sound: snore a doggy snore, bark at friends

Emotions: mom is frustrated that she has to go out in the snow when he needs to go to the bathroom, or he barks at friends, or he lets strangers in the house or tracks in the mud.  Other words for frustrated may be: angry, upset, tired, mad, 

                                             Third Read

Now, letś look at the poem one last time. This time, we will analyze repetition. 

First, let the student know we will only underline repeating nouns, verbs, and adjectives unless it is a repeating phrase. 

What words repeat? 

• Mother doesn't want a dog. 
• dog
• mother
• sit
• snore

Using these words, how can you determine the main point the poet is trying to get across to the reader? This one is pretty obvious, but this strategy works with most poems that have repetition - even if it isn't obvious.  

To use this as a FREE lesson, click here!

See you on the OTHER side of the Reading Rope......