According to the MacMillan English dictionary, a poem is a piece of writing using beautiful or unusual language arranged in fixed lines that have a particular beat and often rhyme. Poetry analysis involves the scrutiny of the poem for better understanding of the intended message of the poet. Several steps are used in the analysis of poems, such are, identification of the subject matter. It involves what the poem is about and why it exists, who the persona of the poem is, identifying whether the poem was written by the first, second or third person. The second step is to identify the major theme that is portrayed in the poem.
It majorly expresses the recurring ideas and topics as revealed in the poem. Common themes in poetry are like, religion, life, death, morality, love and culture. The third step is the identification of the tone as expressed in the poem. It majorly describes the general mood of the poem. Phrases are analysed so that cab reveal the attitude of the poem. Common tones in poems are such like, optimistic, solemn, melancholic, judgmental, scornful and nostalgia. Identification of stylistic devices is the forth step used in the process of poem analysis. Common stylistic devices used in poem analysis include, alliteration, satire, rhyme, repetition and personification. Form identification is the fifth step as used in poem analysis. Studies revolving around punctuation and structure of the poem is done.
Finally, the feeling of the poem is identified. It describes the emotion conveyed in the poem. The tone is useful to describe the narrators feelings and his intention for the poem. Also the tone helps the reader of the poem to identify their general feeling of the poem. In summary, the three selection poems are going to be analysed using these steps.
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In ‘ An Invitation for My Grandmother’ by Nickole Brown the persona is a man who is in pain and anguish over the loss oh his grandmother. The poem is about a man whose grandmother died and narrates the eventsin his life that follow after the death of the beloved grandmother. He recalls the time they had spent with the grandmother also recalls of the things he had witnessed the grandmother do such like ‘ so now you’re one the other side and got your knees working again’. The context of this poem is around the region of Cincinnati, the persona writes,’ you’d never been further north than Cincinnati.’
This most probably is the same region where the poem was written from. The poem was written to honor the beloved grandmother and also for the celebration of her well lived life the poet records of the good old times they had spent with the grandmother such as, when the persona had a wedding,’ and please take off your shoes now, stand with me last October when I took a wife , barefoot on the grass. We made our vows.’, as well as three years ago when the sister’s persona was giving birth to her son,’ my sister sittingbup during a contraction how she reached inside herself to touch the crown of her son not yet born.’ Evidently, the poem is written in the first person narration.’ I told myself.’ The major theme expressed in the poem is Memory.
The persona reminiscences of the good old times they had spent with the grandmother. Such is her attendance to his wedding as well the birth of the sister’s son. Memory is the main issue that is recurring in the poem more then the idea of death which is not verily stressed in the poem as memories they shared. The tone which describes the language of the poem is that melancholy. Phrases that expresses this attitude are, ‘ I won’t sayvtge worlds a better place, its not since you left. Some of the stylistic devices used in the poem are, Hyperbole, ‘ so that now that you’re on the other side and got your knees working again’ this feature expresses exaggeration to emphasise how the Grandmother was a prayerful woman, their proud eggs into melted ice.’ This describes how much the persona misses the grandmother that he sees things oir of reality.
The use of rhetoric questions is also used, ‘ can I take you there?’ Makes the grandmother seem to be real and in a conversation with the persona. Exaggeration is used to describe that lots of blood was spilled when the sister’s son was born,’ a rich earth of blood.’ Imagery has been used as the persona describes how the wind bulldozed his neighbors.’ Yet another wind bulldozed my neighbors , all their homes razed to slab foundation, their trees now splintered borne.’ This paints a mental picture to the readers of the descriptions made in the poem. Finally, the general melancholic tone tells of the narrators pain after the loss of his grandmother. His intention is to rely the pain associated with losing a loved one. It achieves its intention as the tone can be felt by the reader.
In ,’ A Question to Ask Once the Honeymoon is Over by Jessica Jacobs. The poem is about a husband who reflects on his personal life outside anyone’s watch and his life when being watched by the wife. He wonders whether the wife will continue loving him if she realises that her man could be acting different when she is present,’ will she love me less when she learns I am not equal to the person I am when she is watching.’ He Narrates how he had helped and continued helping an old woman across the street empty her garbage bags and wonders how such news would be received by the wife. He wonders of his mean character when he had crushed a turtle by the road while driving and left it to die before coming back to check on it.
The persona in influenced to write the poem because he is anxious that his wife married him who had put on some good habits before her. The poem is written in the first person narration,’ I rode back hard,’. The major theme brought out in the poem is Identity. Among many issues that have been expressed in the poem, identity of the persona is the main issue addressed in the poem. The persona suggests that his wife married him over a wrong identity, that is, a different person woth masked behaviour is presented to the wife and yet the real man’s behaviour is hidden. Several phrases picked from the poem suggests that the tone of the poem is Reflective.
From the title of the poem, the poet labels it as a question to ask once honeymoon is over. It suggests to the readers even as the poem is almost over of that fact that marriage could be compromised if the real identity of spouse is soon realized. The persona writes, ,’ that story – I hadn’t yet told my wife,had I?’. It suggests to the readers of the personas anxiety over how the wife would react if he had revealed certain truths of his past life experiences. Several stylistic devices have been used in the poem among them being, simile, ‘ As big around as my bike helmet,’,’ shaped like that turtle,’ specifically used for for emphasis and for comic reasons. Personification has been used to describe the pleasure felt by the persona because of the sun’s effect, ‘ the warm sun felt delicious,’ the use of rhetoric question has been used to provoke thoughts on the said subject,’ will she love me less when she learns I am not equal to the person I am when she is watching?’
Finally. The major feeling of reflecting as expressed by the persona provokes thoughts ri the readers and makes them really think serous of their habits and perhaps double stages lives in different circumstances and especially before people that matter to them. It presents a case where readers need to carefully examine their ways and how it could affect important institutions such as marriage.
In ‘Consider the Ocean’ by Ephraim Scott Sommers the persona is an individual who reflects over his family members and metaphors then to the occurrences of the ocean. The writer is influenced by the various events happening around the ocean and is quickened to compare such to his family members such as in,’ in sleep my lover breathes tidal against my bones,’ and ,’ and because my father’s cough is a stormas well,’. The poem is written in the first person narration format,’ I ask a star,’ to suggest that the poem is interpreted as according to the writer. The setting of the poem evidently is around the beach of an ocean. The main theme of the poem is Family as various family member are included in the poem and how their traits and rationale compares to the events happening around the ocean,’ I have seen my grandfather lost in the foam.’
The tone of the poem could be described as, Jovial. The persona joyfully reflects over his family members and compares them differently to the occurrences around the beach. Several stylistic devices have been employed in the poem among them being, hyperbole, ‘ in sleep my lover breathes tidal against my bones,’ it is an exaggeration that creates comic while also emphasizes of the deep sleep the lover always had. Imagery has been used to create visual and mental pictures as expressed in the poem.’ ‘ and because my fathers cough is a storms swell.’
Metaphor has also been used in the poem to create direct comparison, such like,’ I am so solid,I am told’,’ this expresses of the tough nature of the persona. Repetition has been used to create emphasis of the personas nature and traits,,’ I am so solidi am told I am so solid..,’ Finally, the joyful tone of the persona is expressed as he concluids the poem by comparing himself as the thing the ocean wrecks the ship into. This feeling is alsonfelt by the readers who feel satisfied with his the different family members have been expressed and perfectly compared to the occurrences of the ocean. The poet therefore achieves his creative goal for writing the poem.
Work Cited
- The poem Consider the Ocean by Ephraim Scott
- The poem A question to ask once Honeymoon is over by Jessica Jacob’s
- An invitation for my grandmother by Nickole Brown
