Two authoritative sources including the (1) source of your poem and (2) one other expert authoritative source that explicates the poem. Be sure to use recommended sources from the Databases (such as Literary Reference Center Plus and The Explicator). Do NOT USE our textbook or website, Wikipedia, blogs, or study guides such as Schmoop, enotes, Answers.com as sources, even as sources of your poem. Use only academic, college-level sources.
Topic: Explicate a poem from Unit Two in our syllabus that’s on this list (I put a star next to poems that might be hard to find research on):
“Garbage Truck”*
“We Real Cool”
“Ballad of the Landlord”
“Jabberwocky”
“Ozymandias”
“The Old Pond” [Basho}
“The Red Wheelbarrow”
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” [Sonnet 18]
“The Raven”
“To the Virgins–To Make Much of Time”
“My Life Had Stood–a Loaded Gun”
“The Polar Bear”*
“Smoke”*
“my dogs”
“Still I Rise”
What is an explication of a poem?
When asked to analyze or “explicate” a poem, it is a good idea to read the poem several times before starting to write about it (usually, they are short, so it is worth the time).
When writing in response to an assignment, keep in mind the constraints put upon you by the assignment itself and the actual questions you are answering. A written analysis of a poem should not simply paraphrase it, although the analysis may include paraphrase.
The following are questions you can ask about any poem you encounter. Remember, however, that not all of the questions will apply to every poem you read, and also that you do not have to write about every answer to every question.
Who is the speaker? Is it the poet or a character/persona the poet takes on? What is the tone of voice adopted? Can you detect any irony (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.? How precisely is the speaker defined? (Note: You should refer to the speaker as “the speaker” and not as “the poet,” even if the voice seems to be the poet’s own.
Who is the speaker’s audience? Does the audience help to define the speaker?
What is the poem’s literal meaning?
What is the poem’s theme? Is the theme stated explicitly or implicitly?
What is the poem’s structure (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.? Does it develop in a straightforward manner to a logical conclusion? Is there a shift or turn in its development? How is the shift indicated? Why does a shift take place?
How is the poem organized? How does its organization contribute to the development of the poem’s subject or theme?
What is the poem’s meter (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.? How does it contribute to the development of the poem’s subject or theme? Are there any strategic points where the poem breaks with its rhyme scheme (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.? Why?
What is the poem’s rhyme scheme (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.? How does it contribute to the development of the poem’s subject or theme? Is there any evidence of internal rhymes, slant rhymes (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., e tc?
Do the lines end with a completion of a thought or closed punctuation (i.e., are they end-stopped (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.)? Or do the lines flow without pause, from one to the next (i.e., are they enjambed (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.)? If enjambed (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., does it occur from one couplet (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. to the next, one quatrain (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. to the next, etc?
How would you characterize the poem’s language or diction (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. ? What effect does this choice of language have on your response to the poem and its speaker?
What imagery (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. is developed in the poem? Does the poet use metaphor (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., simile (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., personification (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., etc? Does he/she use symbolism (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.? Considering the poem’s subject matter, are these images obvious ones, or are they unusual and unexpected? Do they contribute to the poem’s subject or theme? If so, how?
Is there any evidence of repetition, alliteration (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., onomatopoeia (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., or other sound effects in the poem? What do they contribute?
Is there any significance to the placement of words in the poem? Is the rhythm of any particular words or lines noteworthy?
Is there any significance to the poem’s punctuation or the capitalization and spelling of words? (Note: These features are often the result of modern editing and not original to the author)
Works Cited page and parenthetical cites: The essay must contain a separate Works Cited page that gives references citing the poem (not our textbook) and at least one other source. The Works Cited page should be part of the same document as the essay, not a separate document (-5 points for separate document). It is, however, a separate page. Since this is a research paper, you will not receive a passing grade unless you do the required research, use parenthetical citations, and have a Works Cited page using up-to-date MLA style as reviewed in class. Your Works Cited page and your parenthetical cites must match up. You must cite your poem with the poet as author, using the correct title of the poem. Be sure to use this handout when preparing to document your research: Where Do I Place the Cites in Text of Essay.docx Audience is academic community. Use MLA style and college-level grammar (remember, don’t use slang and don’t use “you.”).
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