Analysing Language in Unseen Poetry

Language analysis is the core skill of literary criticism. When we talk about "language" in the context of poetry, we mean the specific words a poet has chosen and the effects those choices create. At A-Level, you are expected not merely to identify language features but to explore why a poet has made particular choices and how those choices shape meaning, tone, and the reader's experience.

This lesson covers diction, imagery, figurative language, and sound effects — the essential toolkit for any unseen poetry response.

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Diction: The Choice of Individual Words

Every word in a poem is a choice. Poets typically work through multiple drafts, testing and discarding alternatives until they find the word that does the most work. Your job as a reader is to notice when a word choice is surprising, precise, or loaded with implication.

What to Consider