1. CONTENT AREA LITERACY (PERIODS 2 AND 6)
POETRY EXPLICATION
CONTENT AREA LITERACY (PERIODS 2 AND 6)
MARILYN L. MCCOTTRELL
Marilyn McCottrell

2. WHAT IS AN EXPLICATION?
A poetry explication is a detailed, written analysis of a poem.

3. HOW LONG WILL MY EXPLICATION BE?
When you get to college and are asked to write an explication, it could be several pages long.
As a junior or senior in high school, it may only be a couple of pages.
By the end of this year, I will expect you to be able to write a five-paragraph explication.
Right now, however, I want to see you use your knowledge of main ideas and support to write a strong, one- paragraph explication.

4. MAIN IDEA
The first sentence of your paragraph explication will be the main idea sentence.
This sentence states what the message of the poem is.
It will be implicit, so you must use clues from the poem to create a statement that identifies what the poet was really trying to say.
In other words, what point is the poet making about life, society, human nature, etc?
THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS YOUR MAIN IDEA!

5. SUPPORTING DETAILS
WHAT ARE THEY?
EXAMPLES of TECHNIQUES
The supporting details explain what techniques the poet uses in the poem to make the point.
You will need at least three supporting details in the paragraph.
Compares
Contrasts
Explains
Lists
Describes
Examines
Distinguishes
Emphasizes
Repeats

6. ELABORATING DETAILS
The elaborating details hold the rest of the paragraph together.
They are the most important support, for they show examples from the poem that back up the supporting details.

7. ELABORATING DETAILS
Elaborating Details equal Quotation plus Explanation of why and how!
You will need at least one quotation and one explanation sentence per supporting detail.
Once you have identified a quote that matches your supporting detail, you must provide another sentence that explains why that quote is effective and how it proves the main idea sentence.

8. CONCLUSION
The last sentence of your paragraph is your conclusion sentence.
This statement restates the main idea, using different words while keeping the same meaning.

9. LET’S PRACTICE!
Take a moment and read the lyrics to Tupac’s “Dear Mama.”
Now, let’s listen to it.
/tupac-shakur- 2pac/dear-mama- 2pac-tupac-shakur/

10. HOW WOULD WE WRITE THIS EXPLICATION?
MAIN IDEA—What message is Tupac sending? What point is he trying to make?
SUPPORTING DETAIL—Identify one technique Tupac uses in the song to convey the message.
ELABORATING DETAIL—Find a quotation that demonstrates this technique. Explain why this technique is effective and how it proves the main idea.
REPEAT TWO TIMES—New supporting details and elaborating details.
CONCLUSION—Restates the main idea in a new and interesting way.