Poetry Analysis - Like a Pro!

I LOVE POETRY! I love to read it, write it, and teach it, and above all, I want my students to love it too! In order for them to love it, however, they have to understand it. I've always had a difficult time getting students to think deeply when it comes to poetry analysis, so I decided to develop a new process this year to help them practice.

I ended up with a seven step process. To practice, I put together a packet of six of my personal favorite poems. We went through the packet together, in groups, individually, etc. until I felt confident that my students were getting it. Then, I gave them a pop quiz using the same process! I have put this packet on my Teachers Pay Teachers account for free, so go download it and use it! One thing that isn't on TPT, though, is the Google Presentation I used with the packet. You can check that out here!

Here are the seven steps:

1. Number the lines in each poem, and label the rhyme scheme if there is one.
2. Read the poem several times. Circle any unknown words.
3. Summarize each stanza.
4. Annotate the poem by noticing and labeling any literary devices, figurative language, symbolism, imagery, etc.
5. Identify the major theme of the poem, and provide evidence to support your choice.
6. Identify your favorite line or phrase from the poem, and explain why you chose it as your favorite.
7. Choose one of the unknown words you circled and develop a definition (in your own words!) based on context clues from the poem. 

And here are some examples of the poems once they have been analyzed!