Helping our students read, think deeply about, and (hopefully!) enjoy poetry can be so much fun. It can also be so challenging. By the time they get to middle and high school, many kids already have firmly established feelings about poetry, and those feelings often aren’t warm and cuddly. With that in mind, we’ve put together an easy-to-use Poetry Analysis worksheet and Poetic Elements bookmarks you can use with any poem you’re sharing with your class. Download them today and get ready to ignite your students’ love for poetry.
Use the worksheet to analyze a poem
One of the most important aspects of analyzing a poem is taking time to read it more than once. This worksheet helps students by reminding them to do that not once, not twice, but in three different sections.
After the first reading, students are prompted to give their initial thoughts and impressions.
The second reading encourages students to read the poem aloud so they can really hear the words and the sound of the poem. The questions in this section focus on poetic elements, asking students to consider why the author made the choices they made in the poem.
Finally, the worksheet encourages students to take a final look at the poem. With all the analysis they’ve done so far, they’re now ready to really think about what the author was trying to share with the reader. The questions in this section relate to theme and how well the poem conveys that theme to readers. The last task gives students the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings about the poem by briefly writing a note to a friend, encouraging them to read (or skip!) this poem and explaining why they should. It’s a great way to give your students a chance to express their feelings, positive or negative, about the poem they’ve just analyzed.
The Poetic Elements bookmark
As a fun extra when you download this worksheet, you’ll receive a set of bookmarks to copy and pass out to your students to remind them of some of the most common poetic elements they’ll encounter as they study poetry. It’s a perfect support for students who need a bit of help remembering the difference between similes, metaphors, alliteration, allusions, and other poetic devices.
Get your free Poetry Analysis worksheet and Poetic Elements bookmarks!
To download your free Poetry Analysis worksheet and Poetic Elements bookmarks, just fill out the form on this page for instant access!