Analysing Form and Structure in Unseen Poetry

Form and structure are among the most powerful tools a poet has — and among the most neglected by students. While most candidates can identify a simile or a metaphor, far fewer can explain why a poem is written in three-line stanzas, or what effect is created by a line break in the middle of a phrase. At A-Level, the ability to discuss form and structure with sophistication is a significant differentiator between competent and excellent responses.

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Form vs Structure: A Working Distinction

These terms overlap, but a useful distinction is:

• Form refers to the overall shape and type of the poem — is it a sonnet, a villanelle, a free verse lyric, a dramatic monologue? What rules or conventions does it follow or break?
• Structure refers to the internal organisation — how the poem is ordered, how it moves from beginning to end, how its parts relate to each other

Both are aspects of how the poem is made, and both contribute to meaning.

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Common Poetic Forms