Poetry Analysis

Poetry can appear in the CSSE 11+ English paper, and many students find it the most challenging type of passage. However, with the right approach, poetry can also be the most rewarding. This lesson will give you the skills and confidence to analyse any poem you encounter in the exam.

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Why Is Poetry Different?

Poetry is different from prose (ordinary writing) in several important ways:

Feature	Prose	Poetry
Layout	Written in sentences and paragraphs	Written in lines and stanzas (groups of lines)
Language	Usually clear and direct	Often compressed and layered with meaning
Sound	Rhythm is natural and flowing	May use deliberate rhythm, rhyme, and sound effects
Meaning	Usually stated clearly	Often implied or symbolic

Because poetry packs a lot of meaning into a small space, you need to read it slowly and carefully — ideally more than once.

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Key Poetry Terms

Before you can analyse a poem, you need to know the vocabulary. Here are the most important terms:

Term	Definition	Example
Stanza	A group of lines in a poem (like a paragraph)	A four-line stanza is called a quatrain
Rhyme	When words have the same ending sound	"cat" and "hat", "moon" and "soon"
Rhyme scheme	The pattern of rhymes at the end of lines	ABAB means lines 1 and 3 rhyme, and lines 2 and 4 rhyme
Rhythm	The beat or pattern of stressed sounds in a line	"The BOY ran DOWN the LANE" has a strong rhythm
Simile	A comparison using "like" or "as"	"The stars shone like diamonds"
Metaphor	A comparison saying something IS something else	"The moon was a silver coin"
Personification	Giving human qualities to non-human things	"The wind whispered secrets"
Alliteration	Repeating the same consonant sound at the start of words	"Silently, the snow settled"
Onomatopoeia	A word that sounds like what it describes	"buzz", "crash", "hiss"
Enjambment	When a sentence runs on from one line to the next	Creates a flowing or urgent effect
Imagery	Language that creates a picture in the reader's mind	"Golden fields stretched to the horizon"

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How to Approach a Poem in the CSSE Exam

Step 1: Read the poem through once

Do not stop to analyse every word. Just get a feel for the overall subject and mood. Ask yourself:

• What is the poem about?
• How does it make me feel?
• Who is speaking?

Step 2: Read it again slowly

This time, pay attention to:

• Individual words — Why has the poet chosen this word rather than another?
• Images — What pictures does the poem create in your mind?
• Sounds — Are there any rhymes, rhythms, or sound effects?
• Structure — How many stanzas are there? Is there a pattern?

Step 3: Read the questions

Look at what you are being asked and go back to the relevant part of the poem to find your answer.

Step 4: Answer with evidence

Always quote from the poem and explain what the words suggest.

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Worked Example

Read this stanza:

The river slides beneath the bridge, A ribbon of silver in the sun. It chatters softly over stones And hurries on, its work not done.