Picking Poems to Pieces

Analysing Poetry No matter what the topic of a poem, you can apply the same method to analyse it. Picking a poem to pieces is easy! I’m up in the tree today and I’m not coming down. I don’t feel safe a school no more just cause my skin is brown. Point of view is from the character (1 st person) authenticates the story and causes up to empathise with them. Tone of the poem is created by rhyme and rhythm and gives a childlike voice to the poem Emotive language “don’t feel safe’ further emphasises the fear the child is experiencing Imagery of a child being up in a tree suggests the child may be scared and hiding away Careful diction, “just cause my skin is brown” use of the word just implies they do not understand that they are experiencing racism.

Looking closely The model is an example of how you can extract meaning from a poem. Notice how everything written indicated the poetic technique and then explained in further detail what the poet was trying to do for the audience. Although there was only two lines from the poem, a lot could be inferred because of the carefully chosen poetic devices. Try doing the same with the next two lines. If I stay here over night will I turn into a bird? So I can fly away from here and all those nasty words?

Now do this with the rest of the poems in your books. Take it section by section. Cos it's no fun being different. Where do I fit in? Some kids at school are nasty, and their words have such a sting. "You half-caste dog, you coon, you boong, you stinking bloody Abo." I don't know what these words mean. I know they hurt me like an arrow. I asked my teacher to explain, and she just slapped me, hard and then, when it was lunchtime, I was pushed over in the yard. So now I'm sitting up the tree. I'll hide from everyone. I don't understand this place - I'm only in grade one."

Once you have completed the whole poem, all you have to do is write it out into sentences. You can add bits and pieces as they come to you when you write. See the example from the analysis of the first two lines. The poem is about a child who experiences racism. The poem is powerful because it is written from the point of view from a young child, “I’m up in a tree today…down.” The use of the first person narration authenticates the story and also causes us to empathise with the feelings of the poet. The use of rhyme and rhythm creates a childish sound to the poem causing the audience to further sympathise with the child as it enhances his innocence and naivety. The child clearly does not understand why he feels this way as the voice of the child created by the poet suggests,” I don’t feel safe at school no more just cause my skin is brown.” The use of the word ‘just’ suggests that the child does not understand the severity of the racism he is experiencing. Having the story told from the point of view of the child further highlights the cruelty and unreasonable act of racism as children are not born racist. The child clearly doesn’t understand what racism is, only that he is being bullied for having brown skin.

Task: Analyse the ways in which the poet communicates the theme of racism. Remember: Introduce your point Use examples from the poem Clearly identify the writing technique Explain in detail how it has communicated the theme, point, idea or feelings of the poet

Task: How has the poet used poetic devices to communicate the theme of the poem? Climb 'Til Your Dream Comes True by: Helen Steiner Rice Often your tasks will be many, And more than you think you can do. Often the road will be rugged And the hills insurmountable, too. But always remember, The hills ahead Are never as steep as they seem, And with Faith in your heart Start upward And climb 'til you reach your dream. For nothing in life that is worthy Is ever too hard to achieve If you have the courage to try it, And you have the faith to believe. For faith is a force that is greater Than knowledge or power or skill, And many defeats turn to triumph If you trust in God's wisdom and will. For faith is a mover of mountains, There's nothing that God cannot do, So, start out today with faith in your heart, And climb 'til your dream comes true!

Task: Analyse how the poem has communicated the theme of choosing your own path. The Road Not Taken by: Robert Frost Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveller, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference.