Before you begin, photocopy the poem or type out the poem.
(You will need more than just the photocopy to complete the annotation.)
1. Begin by doing an initial read-through of the poem for a general understanding, and make a note of the overall theme (one sentence maximum). As you go through the following steps, return to your description of the theme and revise it to be more specific.
2. Develop an overall paraphrase of the poem.
3. Scan and note the meter and rhythm of the poem, using the system we discussed in class. You will be turning this in.
4. Determine the meter of the poem (iambic tetrameter, alexandrines, etc.).
5. Notice any deviation from the meter. What words does it call attention to? What effect does it have on the poem?
6. Mark the rhyme scheme of the poem (abba, cdecde, etc.).
7. Identify the form of the verse (sonnet, rhyming couplets, etc.).
8. Does the entire poem adhere strictly to that form, or are there certain places where it deviates? Can you explain the deviations in the context of what the poem is saying at that place? Does the deviation affect the sense?
9. As you read, mark any words or phrases that stand out to you.
10. Make a brief note about what strikes you (Is it the sound or the sense?)
11. Why is this moment important to the poem?
12. Note any allusions. What is the poem alluding to, and why? (Other poems or literature, current or historical events, Greek or Roman mythology, etc.)
13. Look up any unfamiliar vocabulary, or any words being used in an unfamiliar way.
14. You may have to do a little research in order to discover the historical context of the poem. Briefly, when was the poem published? Where did the author live? Does that affect your reading of the poem?
15. What does the occasion/purpose of the poem seem to be? (Why is the poet writing this poem at this time?)
16. Reread the poem and divide it into sections that seem natural to it, either thematically or structurally. Is there a specific turn in the poem? Where?
17. Identify metaphors, similes, and other comparisons made in the poem. Identify what is being compared to what. What is the effect of the comparison? Be careful to notice any details that might not immediately correspond to your interpretation of the poem, and take time to reconcile them.
18. Consider word choice. Is the author using a higher poetic diction, or attempting to mimic common speech? Why? Give examples of the kind of vocabulary the poet uses.
19. Be especially aware of ways in which the poem seems to be self-conscious, that is, aware of its own form as a poem: what is the status of poetry within the poem? What does it mean for this message to be conveyed in verse form?
20. Go back through your annotation and ask yourself what each of the observations means for the poem. For instance, if you thought Anne Bradstreet’s use of iambic pentameter rhyming couplets was incessant, why would she do that?
