thesis about poetry

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Writing About Poetry

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This section covers the basics of how to write about poetry, including why it is done, what you should know, and what you can write about.

Writing about poetry can be one of the most demanding tasks that many students face in a literature class. Poetry, by its very nature, makes demands on a writer who attempts to analyze it that other forms of literature do not. So how can you write a clear, confident, well-supported essay about poetry? This handout offers answers to some common questions about writing about poetry.

What's the Point?

In order to write effectively about poetry, one needs a clear idea of what the point of writing about poetry is. When you are assigned an analytical essay about a poem in an English class, the goal of the assignment is usually to argue a specific thesis about the poem, using your analysis of specific elements in the poem and how those elements relate to each other to support your thesis.

So why would your teacher give you such an assignment? What are the benefits of learning to write analytic essays about poetry? Several important reasons suggest themselves:

• To help you learn to make a text-based argument. That is, to help you to defend ideas based on a text that is available to you and other readers. This sharpens your reasoning skills by forcing you to formulate an interpretation of something someone else has written and to support that interpretation by providing logically valid reasons why someone else who has read the poem should agree with your argument. This isn't a skill that is just important in academics, by the way. Lawyers, politicians, and journalists often find that they need to make use of similar skills.
• To help you to understand what you are reading more fully. Nothing causes a person to make an extra effort to understand difficult material like the task of writing about it. Also, writing has a way of helping you to see things that you may have otherwise missed simply by causing you to think about how to frame your own analysis.
• To help you enjoy poetry more! This may sound unlikely, but one of the real pleasures of poetry is the opportunity to wrestle with the text and co-create meaning with the author. When you put together a well-constructed analysis of the poem, you are not only showing that you understand what is there, you are also contributing to an ongoing conversation about the poem. If your reading is convincing enough, everyone who has read your essay will get a little more out of the poem because of your analysis.

What Should I Know about Writing about Poetry?

Most importantly, you should realize that a paper that you write about a poem or poems is an argument. Make sure that you have something specific that you want to say about the poem that you are discussing. This specific argument that you want to make about the poem will be your thesis. You will support this thesis by drawing examples and evidence from the poem itself. In order to make a credible argument about the poem, you will want to analyze how the poem works—what genre the poem fits into, what its themes are, and what poetic techniques and figures of speech are used.

What Can I Write About?

Theme: One place to start when writing about poetry is to look at any significant themes that emerge in the poetry. Does the poetry deal with themes related to love, death, war, or peace? What other themes show up in the poem? Are there particular historical events that are mentioned in the poem? What are the most important concepts that are addressed in the poem?

Genre: What kind of poem are you looking at? Is it an epic (a long poem on a heroic subject)? Is it a sonnet (a brief poem, usually consisting of fourteen lines)? Is it an ode? A satire? An elegy? A lyric? Does it fit into a specific literary movement such as Modernism, Romanticism, Neoclassicism, or Renaissance poetry? This is another place where you may need to do some research in an introductory poetry text or encyclopedia to find out what distinguishes specific genres and movements.

Versification: Look closely at the poem's rhyme and meter. Is there an identifiable rhyme scheme? Is there a set number of syllables in each line? The most common meter for poetry in English is iambic pentameter, which has five feet of two syllables each (thus the name "pentameter") in each of which the strongly stressed syllable follows the unstressed syllable. You can learn more about rhyme and meter by consulting our handout on sound and meter in poetry or the introduction to a standard textbook for poetry such as the Norton Anthology of Poetry . Also relevant to this category of concerns are techniques such as caesura (a pause in the middle of a line) and enjambment (continuing a grammatical sentence or clause from one line to the next). Is there anything that you can tell about the poem from the choices that the author has made in this area? For more information about important literary terms, see our handout on the subject.

Figures of speech: Are there literary devices being used that affect how you read the poem? Here are some examples of commonly discussed figures of speech:

• metaphor: comparison between two unlike things
• simile: comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as"
• metonymy: one thing stands for something else that is closely related to it (For example, using the phrase "the crown" to refer to the king would be an example of metonymy.)
• synecdoche: a part stands in for a whole (For example, in the phrase "all hands on deck," "hands" stands in for the people in the ship's crew.)
• personification: a non-human thing is endowed with human characteristics
• litotes: a double negative is used for poetic effect (example: not unlike, not displeased)
• irony: a difference between the surface meaning of the words and the implications that may be drawn from them

Cultural Context: How does the poem you are looking at relate to the historical context in which it was written? For example, what's the cultural significance of Walt Whitman's famous elegy for Lincoln "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed" in light of post-Civil War cultural trends in the U.S.A? How does John Donne's devotional poetry relate to the contentious religious climate in seventeenth-century England? These questions may take you out of the literature section of your library altogether and involve finding out about philosophy, history, religion, economics, music, or the visual arts.

What Style Should I Use?

It is useful to follow some standard conventions when writing about poetry. First, when you analyze a poem, it is best to use present tense rather than past tense for your verbs. Second, you will want to make use of numerous quotations from the poem and explain their meaning and their significance to your argument. After all, if you do not quote the poem itself when you are making an argument about it, you damage your credibility. If your teacher asks for outside criticism of the poem as well, you should also cite points made by other critics that are relevant to your argument. A third point to remember is that there are various citation formats for citing both the material you get from the poems themselves and the information you get from other critical sources. The most common citation format for writing about poetry is the Modern Language Association (MLA) format .

Poetry & Poets

Explore the beauty of poetry – discover the poet within

How To Write A Thesis Statement For Poetry Analysis

How to write a thesis statement for poetry analysis

Poetry analysis can be a daunting task for anyone, even seasoned writers and academicians. To help guide you through the process of writing a thesis statement for poetry analysis, there are a few key steps that you need to consider. The process can be broken down into five easy to understand steps so you can produce a well-crafted thesis statement that can be used to effectively write a full essay. The process starts by learning about the author, analyzing the poem’s structure, and researching the background of the poem.

Know Your Poet

The first step in writing a thesis statement for poetry analysis is to learn as much as you can about the poet. Learning about your poet’s style, believes, and intentions can help you gain a better understanding of the poem. It can also give you inspiration for your thesis statement. Focus on what the poet is trying to convey in the piece. Research the poet’s biography and any other related literary works that he or she may have written.

Also, take note of the time period in which the poem was written. Historical context is often an important part of a poet’s work and can help to shed light on the intentions of the poem. Understanding these elements of the poem can help to create a more meaningful thesis statement. It can also allow the reader to see how the poem fits into the greater context of the poet’s works.

Analyze the Poem

The next step in writing a thesis statement for poetry analysis is to analyze the poem. Analyzing the poem allows you to understand the poem’s structure, themes, and identify key words. As you analyze the poem, consider the tone and imagery of the piece. Identify any symbols that might be present. Pay close attention to the meter, rhyme, and stanzas used by the poet.

By thoroughly analyzing the poem you can uncover important aspects of the poem’s writing that should be highlighted in your thesis statement. This analysis can also provide you with insight into the poet’s style and thought processes. Make sure to note any questions that arise during your analysis that could help you to further develop your thesis statement.

Research the Poem

Once you have a better understanding of the poem’s structure, themes, and author, you should begin researching the poem. Do some research into any cultural, philosophical, or theological symbols in the poem, as well as the poem’s possible historical context. Go through the poem line by line, examining any personifications, metaphors, or allusions used by the poet. Take the time to research any allusions or symbols used in the poem.

Finding critical reviews and scholarly articles about the poem can also provide you with important information about the poem that can help you to create a thesis statement. This research can also help you to understand the perspective of the poem’s creator.

Formulate the Thesis Statement

Once you have a thorough understanding of the poem, it’s time to formulate the thesis statement. Start by summarizing the main points that you found during your research, analysis, and reading of the poem. Summarize the main themes, symbols, and other critical aspects of the poem. Use these points to help you develop a single statement that goes beyond simply summarizing the poem.

Formulate a statement that explores the poet’s intent and ideas behind the poem. Focus on how these points are woven into the poem to create a unique, meaningful statement. The thesis statement should be concise, but still reflect the main points of the poem.

Revise the Thesis Statement

The last step in writing a thesis statement for poetry analysis is to revise the thesis statement until it is clear and concise. Take the time to look over the statement and make sure it is an accurate representation of the poem. The statement should not be too general, vague, or difficult to understand.

Ensure that your thesis statement reflects the main ideas of the poem and proofread your statement for any spelling or grammar errors. Once you are satisfied with your statement, you should incorporate it into the introduction of your essay.

Poetry Analysis Techniques

When beginning a poetry analysis, it is important to conduct a close reading of the poem to gain a better understanding of the text. This can be done by carefully examining the various elements of the poem. Some key elements to consider during a close reading include the speaker or narrators, figurative language, repetition, and rhyme scheme.

In addition, look for any possible historical context or underlying messages in the poem. Lastly, consider the poet’s use of symbolism, meter, and allusions when conducting a thorough analysis. By understanding the elements of poetry and taking the time to conduct a thorough analysis, you can easily create a meaningful thesis statement that can be used to effectively write a full essay.

Interpretive Analysis

Interpretive analysis looks for the deeper meaning behind a poem. It attempts to uncover what the poet is trying to convey through his or her work. To conduct an interpretive analysis, focus on the poem’s structure, imagery, and other elements. Consider the language used in the poem and look for any shared themes, ideas, or sentiments.

In addition to the figurative language used in the poem, look at how the speakers, narrators, and characters within the poem interact. Drawing connections between the poem and its underlying themes can help to bring a deeper understanding of the poem to the surface. By taking the time to conduct an interpretive analysis, you can gain a better understanding of the poem and form a more meaningful thesis statement.

Literary Themes

Many poets use recurring literary themes in their work. Some of the most common literary themes in poetry include love, nature, death, and time. In addition to these, poets also use themes surrounding war, religion, identity, and more. By looking at the common themes of the poem, you can get a deeper understanding of the poet’s intent.

Consider the context of the poem to help you find the surrounding themes. Look for any religious or political messages in the poem, as well as any underlying emotions that the poet is attempting to convey. By understanding the poem’s themes, you can create a more meaningful thesis statement.

Symbolism is a common element used in poetry. Symbols can be words, images, or concepts that stand for or represent something else. Symbolism can be used to represent larger themes in the poem or to help convey a certain emotion or feeling. Look for any symbols throughout the poem, paying special attention to which symbols the poet focuses on the most.

Symbols can take on many forms and can have different meanings for different readers. Consider the context of the poem and the time period in which it was written. Think about the meaning of the symbol in the context of the poem and what the poet is attempting to communicate. Analyzing symbolism within a poem can help to form a more meaningful thesis statement.

Conclusions

In conclusion, writing a thesis statement for poetry analysis can be a daunting task. However, by following these five steps you can break the process down into manageable pieces. Start by learning as much as possible about the poet and the poem, then analyze and research the poem. Once you have a better understanding, begin to formulate and revise your thesis statement. By the end of the process, you will have an effective thesis statement that can be used to write a full essay.

Minnie Walters

Minnie Walters is a passionate writer and lover of poetry. She has a deep knowledge and appreciation for the work of famous poets such as William Wordsworth, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and many more. She hopes you will also fall in love with poetry!

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Essays About Poetry: 5 Interesting Examples and Topic Ideas

Let’s look at some examples of essays about poetry and topics to use as a starting point for your poetry essay.

To many, poetry is like a massage for the soul. Deep lyrics, interesting connections, and reflections on the commonalities that connect all humans make poetry a language that can connect us all.

From Walt Whitman to Edgar Allen Poe, poetry has long been recognized as a form of literary art. Different from visual art, poetry allows authors to use diction, rhyme scheme, and literary devices to paint a picture for the reader. Some poets work to describe physical scenes or events with great detail, while others use language that makes the emotion they’re describing feel real to the reader.

There are many different kinds of poetry, from epic poems to lyric essays. Each poet must decide what poetry format works best to get their point across to their reader. It’s important to note that popular styles of poetry change over time, and readers can expect a different style from an eighteenth-century poet than from a poem written from a modernist perspective.

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers

Examples Of Essays About Poetry

• 1. How Poetry Changed My Life By Shuly Cawood
• 2. 8 Reasons Why Poetry Is Good For The Soul By Kim Barkley
• 3. Top 20 Best Poets Of All Time By Bizhan Romani
• 4. Walt Whitman’s Guide To A Thriving Democracy By Mark Edmundson
• 5. “What Might Have Been And What Has Been”: How T. S. Eliot Looked At Lives By Lyndall Gordon

Topic Ideas For Essays About Poetry

1. who is the greatest american poet of all time, 2. what’s the purpose of poetry, 3. who was the most impactful poet of the twentieth century, 4. what makes a good poem, 5. social standing and poetry, 6. how does gender influence poetry, 7. working through trauma: how poetry and other creative writing can help, 8. poetry and social justice, 9. amanda gorman: who is the national youth poet laureate, 1.  how poetry changed my life  by shuly cawood.

It was  Dr. David Citino  who let me into his poetry writing seminar, Dr. David Citino who taught me how to take sentimentality out, Dr. David Citino who made it possible for me to stay in my journalism program and finish. Poetry kept me from quitting. This is one of the reasons that when National Poetry Month comes around every year, I can’t help but celebrate. Poetry did not just save me from quitting my journalism degree: poetry has been my constant companion and has guided me through upheavals, emotions, and changes and has helped me cope, understand, and let go.

Halfway through her master’s degree program in journalism, Cawood wanted to give up on her degree. She felt called to study poetry but knew that her journalism degree would give her the career opportunities she wanted after graduation. In this essay, Cawood celebrates Dr. Citino, her poetry professor, who helped give her the strength to finish her master’s program while learning more about the literature she loved.

2.  8 Reasons Why Poetry Is Good For The Soul   By Kim Barkley

Have you ever sat there and not known what to write? Picking up poetry, reading through different excerpts from classic poets can blossom ideas you never knew existed. Reading and writing poetry makes you think of new ideas, but can also dramatically change the way you perceived old ones. It is a way to process experiences, visual descriptions, and emotions.

One of the most common arguments about poetry is that it doesn’t serve a literary purpose or educate readers on important topics. Barkley (rightfully) argues that this isn’t the case. Poetry can help children develop reading skills, open the imagination, and provide a safe space for authors to express difficult emotions that can be difficult to convey using traditional prose.

3.   Top 20 Best Poets Of All Time  By Bizhan Romani

Like art, poetry can be highly subjective as much of its worth lies in the emotional connection felt by its audience. It can therefore be difficult to judge poetry on its technical merits alone or to rank one poet against another. With that said, there are some poets that have made outstanding achievements in different forms of poetry, influenced literary movements, or left a lasting impression on pop culture.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration for your essay about poetry or you’re simply looking for a good jumping-off point to begin reading poetry in general, Romani’s list is an excellent compilation of some of the best poets of all time, including Sylvia Plath, Sappho, Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickinson, Pablo Neruda, and more.

4.  Walt Whitman’s Guide To A Thriving Democracy  By Mark Edmundson

“Song of Myself,” arguably Whitman’s greatest work, can be seen as a vision quest. In the original version, which had no title when it was published in 1855, in the first edition of Leaves of Grass, Whitman begins as an everyday workingman. He is “one of the roughs,” the tough, laboring type who is depicted on the book’s  frontispiece —shirt open, hat tilted to the side, a calmly insouciant expression on his face. Through a series of poetic and spiritual encounters he gains in experience and wisdom to become a representative democratic individual, one who can show his countrymen and countrywomen the way to a thriving and joyous life.

One of the most well-known and well-respected poets in American history, Walt Whitman is known not just for his descriptive, personal poetic style but also for helping to shape pre-abolition America. In this essay, Edmundson doesn’t just dig into Whitman’s life as he wrote his most famous works—he also discusses how Ralph Waldo Emerson and William Wordsworth influenced Whitman. Poetry is full of both original ideas and borrowed thoughts, and Edmundson works to explain how Whitman’s greatness was due to both his literary prowess and his respect for other greats of his time.

5.  “What Might Have Been And What Has Been”: How T. S. Eliot Looked At Lives   By Lyndall Gordon

Eliot acknowledges the routine plot of existence—“in my beginning is my end”—but he will reverse this: “in my end is my beginning.” Though, of course, this looks to eternal life beyond death, he is thinking also of the life of his ancestor, Andrew Eliott, sailing in 1669 from East Coker, Somerset, across the North Atlantic—a dangerous, three-month voyage—to Salem, Massachusetts. Here is one model life: the risk taker who can begin again in middle age, who takes off for a new life in the New World. This risk mirrors Eliot’s move in middle age to remake his private life during the thirties.

Twentieth-century poet T. S. Eliot seemed to have visions of a perfect life. Since he died in the mid-1960s, many people have been surprised to discover proverbial skeletons in the closet of the poet’s earliest works, including elitism and anti-Semitism present in his early poetry. Today, many wonder how Eliot’s poetry has remained ever-present in today’s literary culture. In this essay, the author suggests that despite Eliot’s unacceptable beginnings, his words—specifically those about how people do not begin to reflect on a person’s life until their death—remain relevant to today’s society.

Exploring the greatest American poets can be fun to delve into different poets’ styles, including Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Edgar Allen Poe, and Sylvia Plath. As you explain your opinion on which poet you believe is the best of all time, explain why you feel the poet you chose stands out among their peers. You may also want to explore current poets and discuss whether it’s possible that the greatest American poet of all time is still alive and writing.

There’s no doubt about it—poetry is art. Musings on the purpose of poetry can provide solid insight into how words can portray emotion. If you decide to write about the purpose of poetry, be sure to explain to your readers how poetry has influenced your life. Share examples of poems that have had a significant impact on you, and explain how poetry contributes to the betterment of society. Be sure to include quotes from well-known poets about the purpose of their work and why they believe they’ve been able to impact society by sharing their creative gifts positively.

Poetry doesn’t just provide poets with an outlet to express themselves—it can also have a significant impact on society and make the world a better place. In an essay on the most impactful poets of the twentieth century, please explain why you feel the poet you selected stands out from their peers. From Maya Angelou to e.e. cummings, you’ll have myriad opportunities to discuss poetic excellence. Explain how the poet you chose affected people, social movements, and history.

While this essay topic is subject to opinion, you can write about what you believe to be a good poem and provide examples from your favorites to support your thesis. You may feel that epic poems that allow the author to tell a detailed story are superior to other forms of poetry, or you may feel that lyrical essays that describe deep human truths are key to the literary world. No matter what argument you choose for what makes a good poem, support your argument with quotes, and don’t rely too much on stories of how a particular form of poetry affected you personally.

Poetry can break down barriers and, in many cases, provide a common language based on shared experiences from people of varying social standing. In your essay about social standing and poetry, explore how poetry has been used throughout history to connect people in various economic situations. You may also want to delve into how poetry can be used to help people understand the experiences of others (for example, explain how poetry can help a person who grew up in poverty express their experience to someone who grew up in a different situation). 

Male and female poets both have incredibly valuable offerings to the literary world, and it can be interesting to explore themes of gender within poetry. In your essay on how gender influences poetry, explore both poems about gender and how the idea of gender can influence a poet’s work. Discuss how societal expectations that go with traditional gender roles are a theme in the work of many poets and how rallying against traditional gender roles can cause issues, both in a poet’s personal and professional life.

Writing can be therapeutic, and many people depend on journaling to help them process difficult and traumatic events. In an essay on how writing can help people work through trauma, dig into the latest research on therapeutic writing. You may also want to interview a therapist or counselor about how they use journaling or writing in their practice to help their clients work through difficult issues. If you have personally been able to work through trauma with the help of writing or journaling, it’s fine to use a personal anecdote to begin or end your essay. Be careful that you don’t lean on anecdotes to carry the body of your essay, however. You’ll want to provide research-driven proof that writing can be used to impact mental health positively. 

Social justice movements have been used to change the course of history repeatedly. In many cases, poetry has served as an important part of social justice movements, providing a voice to those deemed voiceless. In your essay about poetry and social justice, talk about social justice movements both currently and in the past, and refer to poems that have worked to inform others about social issues and create positive change. In your essay, you can focus on one facet of social justice (such as racism or sexism) or look at how poetry and social justice interact with a wider lens. 

National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman took the world by storm with her poem The Hill We Climb, which she read aloud at President Biden’s 2021 inauguration ceremony. In your essay on Gorma, be sure to talk about her past, her education (a Harvard graduate), her rise to fame, and her goals for the future–she has her eyes set on a future presidential run.

If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips !

Amanda has an M.S.Ed degree from the University of Pennsylvania in School and Mental Health Counseling and is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. She has experience writing magazine articles, newspaper articles, SEO-friendly web copy, and blog posts.

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How to write a poetry essay

• August 26, 2023

Whether you love literature or are just curious, this guide will help you understand, enjoy, and talk about poetry. So, let’s start exploring the world of lines and symbols, where each one tells a story to discover.

Here are the steps on writing a poetry essay.

Choose a poem

The first step is, of course, to choose a poem to write your essay . 

It should be one that you find interesting, thought-provoking, or emotionally resonant. It’s important to select a poem that you can engage with and analyze effectively.

• Choose a poem that genuinely captures your interest. Look for poems that evoke emotions, thoughts, or curiosity when you read them.
• Consider the themes addressed in the poem. It should offer ample material for analysis.

When choosing a poem

So for this guide, let’s choose Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I could not stop for Death.” You’ll see a short excerpt of this poem for your understanding. 

Poem example for poetry essay

Because i couldn not stop for Death by Emily Dickinson

       Because I could not stop for Death –        He kindly stopped for me –        The Carriage held but just Ourselves –        And Immortality.        We slowly drove – He knew no haste        And I had put away        My labor and my leisure too,        For His Civility –        We passed the School, where Children strove        At Recess – in the Ring –        We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –        We passed the Setting Sun –        The poem continues....

This poem is intriguing due to its exploration of mortality, the afterlife, and eternity. The imagery and language in the poem provide ample material for analysis, making it a suitable choice for a comprehensive essay.

After carefully choosing the poem that interests you, understanding the poem is the biggest key to writing an effective and nice poetry essay.

Understand the poem

Reading the poem several times to grasp its meaning is the most important part of a good analysis. You must first analyze the structure, rhyme scheme , meter and literary tools used in the poem.

For a solid understanding, you should:

• Read the poem multiple times to familiarize yourself with its content. Each reading may reveal new insights.
• Identify the central themes or messages the poem conveys.
• Study the rhyme scheme and meter (rhythmic pattern) of the poem.
• Consider how the structure, including its stanzas, lines, and breaks, contributes to the poem's meaning and impact.

For example

Remember, understanding the poem thoroughly is the foundation for a well-informed analysis. Take your time to grasp the poem’s various elements before moving on to the next steps in your essay.

Now that we have a clear understanding of the poem, let’s move into writing the introduction. 

Write a catchy introduction

• Begin with an attention-grabbing hook sentence that piques the reader's interest.
• Provide the necessary information about the poem and its author. Mention the poet's name and title of the poem.
• Offer some context about the poem's time period, literary movement, or cultural influences.
• Present your thesis statement , which outlines the main argument or focus of your essay.

Poetry essay introduction example

Introduction

Thesis statement for poetry essays

A thesis statement is a clear and concise sentence or two that presents the main argument or point of your essay . It provides a roadmap for your reader, outlining what they can expect to find in your essay.

In the case of a poetry essay, your thesis statement should capture the central message, themes, or techniques you’ll be discussing in relation to the poem.

Why is the thesis important for a poetry essay?

By reading your thesis statement, your audience should have a clear idea of what to expect from your poem analysis essay.

When creating a thesis statement, keep these in mind: 

• Start by identifying the key elements of the poem that you want to discuss. These could be themes, literary devices, emotions conveyed, or the poet's intentions.
• Based on the key elements you've identified, formulate a central argument that encapsulates your main analysis. What is the poem trying to convey? What are you trying to say about the poem?
• Your thesis should be specific and focused. Avoid vague or broad statements. Instead, provide a clear direction for your analysis.

Poetry essasy thesis statement example

....(introduction starts) ....(introduction continues) ....(introduction continues) In "Because I could not stop for Death," Emily Dickinson employs vivid imagery, personification, and an unconventional perspective on mortality to explore the transcendence of death and the eternity of the soul. Thesis statement, which is usually the last sentence of your introduction

Analyze language and imagery

Language and image analysis in poetry involves a close examination of the words, phrases and literary devices used by the poet. In this step you must uncover the deeper layers of meaning, emotion and sensory experiences conveyed by the poet’s choice of language and imagery.

Why language and imagery?

• Start by identifying and listing the literary devices present in the poem. These could include metaphors, similes, personification, symbolism, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and more.
• For each identified device, explain its significance. How does it contribute to the poem's meaning, mood, or tone?
• Analyze how the literary devices interact with the context of the poem. How do they relate to the themes, characters, or situations presented in the poem?
• Discuss how the use of specific language and imagery influences the reader's emotional response and understanding of the poem.

Continuing with Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for Death,” let’s analyze the use of imagery:

Language and imagery analysis example

Lines chosen for analysis

Discuss themes in body paragraphs

Exploring themes helps you grasp the deeper meaning of the poem and connect it to broader human experiences. Understanding the themes allows you to uncover what the poet is attempting to convey and how the poem relates to readers on a universal level.

In this step, you will likely dedicate multiple body paragraphs to the analysis of various aspects of language and imagery. Each body paragraph should focus on a specific literary device, phrase, or aspect of language and imagery.

Here’s how you can structure the body paragraphs.

Poetry essay body paragraphs example

Body Paragraph 1: Identify and Explain Literary Devices

Body Paragraph 2: Context and Interaction with Themes

Body Paragraph 3: Reader's emotional response and understanding

Provide evidence from the poem

Providing evidence involves quoting specific lines or stanzas from the poem to support the points you’re making in your analysis. These quotes serve as concrete examples that demonstrate how the poet uses language, imagery, or literary devices to convey specific meanings or emotions.

• Select lines or stanzas from the poem that directly relate to the point you're making in your analysis.
• Introduce each quote with context, explaining the significance of the lines and how they contribute to your analysis.
• Use quotation marks to indicate that you're using the poet's language.
• After providing the quote, interpret its meaning. Explain how the language, imagery, or devices used in the quoted lines contribute to your analysis.

Providing evidence example

In your essay, you should include several quotes and interpret them to reinforce your points. Quoting specific lines from the poem allows you to showcase the poet’s language while demonstrating how these lines contribute to the poem’s overall expression.

Write a conclusion

Conclusion paragraph is the last sentence of your poem analysis essay. It reinforces your thesis statement and emphasizes your insights.

Additionally, the conclusion offers a chance to provide a final thought that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. In your conclusion, make sure to:

• Start by rephrasing your thesis statement. Remind the reader of the main argument you've made in your essay.
• Provide a concise summary of the main points. Avoid introducing new information; focus on the key ideas.
• Discuss the broader significance or implications. How does the poem's message relate to readers beyond its specific context?
• End with a thoughtful reflection, observation, or question that leaves the reader with something to ponder.

Poetry essay conclusion example

In your essay, the conclusion serves as a final opportunity to leave a strong impression on the reader by summarizing your analysis and offering insights into the poem’s broader significance.

Now, it’s time to double check what you’ve written.

Proofread and revise your essay

Edit your essay for clarity, coherence, tense selection , correct headings , etc. Ensure that your ideas flow logically and your analysis is well-supported. Remember, a poetry essay is an opportunity to delve into the nuances of a poem’s language, themes, and emotions.

• Review each paragraph to ensure ideas flow logically from one to the next.
• Check for grammar and punctuation errors.
• Verify that your evidence from the poem is accurately quoted and explained.
• Make sure your language is clear and effectively conveys your analysis.

By proofreading and revising, you can refine your essay, improving its readability and ensuring that your insights are communicated accurately.

So this was the last part, you’re now ready to write your first poem analysis (poetry) essay. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What should i include in the introduction of a poetry essay.

In the introduction, provide background information about the poem and poet. Include the poem’s title, publication date, and any relevant context that helps readers understand its significance.

Can I include my emotional responses in a poetry essay?

Yes, you can discuss your emotional responses, but ensure they are supported by your analysis of the poem’s literary elements. Avoid focusing solely on personal feelings.

Is it important to understand the poet's background when writing a poetry essay?

While it can provide context, your focus should be on analyzing the poem itself. If the poet’s background is relevant to the poem’s interpretation, mention it briefly.

What's the best way to conclude a poetry essay?

In the conclusion, summarize your main points and tie them together. Offer insights into the poem’s broader significance, implications, or lasting impact.

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How to Create a Thesis & Outline for a Poetry Essay

Any academic essay must have a thesis statement and a poetry essay is no exception. The main purpose of a poetry essay is not to summarize the poem, but to develop an in-depth idea that makes an argument based upon an analysis of the poem. The thesis statement should contain the essay's main argument about the poem.

What Is a Poetry Essay

A poetry essay develops an interpretation about a particular poem. This interpretation contains an argument about what you think the poet is saying or doing in the poem and what effect the poem’s various elements, like diction or rhyme, have on the poem as a whole. This argument will in turn form the basis of your essay’s thesis statement.

How to Create Thesis Statement

The thesis of the essay will be your statement of interpretation of what a particular poem means. There are two related set of questions that you should consider in order to come up with the thesis for your poetry essay: What is this poem about and why did the writer write the poem as he or she did? The second part of this question asks why did the writer choose to use the words, images, metaphors and perhaps the particular kind of rhythm scheme; what effect is he or she trying to achieve? Your thesis statement should contain answers to these questions.

Connecting the Thesis to the Outline

Once you figure out the answers to the questions above, you can then write your thesis statement. The purpose of the rest of the essay is to provide support for your argument, or to prove your thesis with specific examples from the text. For example, you might decide that William Wordsworth’s poem “Daffodils” is saying something about Wordsworth’s attitude toward life. While this is a good start, this idea is not specific enough to be a thesis. The thesis should make an argument about Wordsworth’s perspective within the poem so that it can then be supported or proven in the rest of the essay. An example of a thesis might be: "In his poem, 'Daffodils,' Wordsworth uses daffodils as a metaphor for a happy life."

How to Write Outline

In order to outline your poetry essay, break up the outline into three main parts: introduction, argument, and conclusion. The introduction will introduce the poem and the poet and state your thesis. The argument section will typically be between two and five paragraphs, and each paragraph will make individual points that support the thesis statement.

For example, one paragraph might discuss how daffodils are a symbol of the poem’s main theme. The number of paragraphs and the argument section of the poem will vary according to how many supporting points you need to make in order to prove your thesis.

Finally, the conclusion is the third section of the essay. This section should summarize the main points of the essay and take the argument one step further.

• University of California Santa Barbara: Writing a Thesis Paper About a Poem; Gerald Egan

Kate Prudchenko has been a writer and editor for five years, publishing peer-reviewed articles, essays, and book chapters in a variety of publications including Immersive Environments: Future Trends in Education and Contemporary Literary Review India. She has a BA and MS in Mathematics, MA in English/Writing, and is completing a PhD in Education.

Writing Studio

Writing about poetry: questions and answers, frequently asked questions on writing about poetry.

In an effort to make our handouts more accessible, we have begun converting our PDF handouts to web pages. Download this page as a PDF: Writing about Poetry Q&A Return to Writing Studio Handouts

Question 1: So what is a poetry paper, and how is it different from summary papers or compare-and-contrast essays?

Answer: A poetry paper is actually called an explication , or a close reading of a poem. It is a line-by-line commentary about what is happening there.

However, when writing an explication, is it important to remember that it is more than just a long summary. Although you may have to summarize the poem in certain parts of your paper (like in the introduction or conclusion), or you may choose to paraphrase a few lines that don’t contain things related to the focus of your paper, an explication is far more complex.

It is, in fact, a close reading of a poem based on a claim that you have made about it. Generally, good explications go line by line, picking out every detail in the poem that supports your argument .

Question 2: Whoa, you just said “argument.” Do poetry papers have those?

Answer: Yes, they do. Poetry explications should have a central argument or thesis that guides your analysis. And remember, thesis statements often start by asking general questions like:

• What does this poem “mean”? What is the author (or speaker) trying to say in it?
• What is the major “theme” of the poem: loneliness, love, racism, or what?
• How will my explication help my readers understand the poem in a fresh, interesting way?

Once you have chosen a theme, try to shape your observation into a more developed statement.

For example, John Donne’s sonnet “Death Be Not Proud” is certainly about death, but it is also doing something else: the speaker is arguing that, because Death is only the end of a life on earth, it is not something to be afraid of, since, according to the Christian beliefs of the speaker, it is only temporary, and will no longer exist when God returns to earth.

Be sure to ask the big questions , but always allow them to lead you to a specific argument about the poem.

Question 3: Okay, I have an argument and I think I’m ready to write. So how do I prove it?

Answer: The key thing to remember about explications is to analyze . Pick apart the language of the poem. Look for things such as symbolism, imagery, metaphor, tone, syntax, irony, allusion , etc. Show how the language of the poem is connected to its content and/or theme.

For example, don’t just stop at the observation that Hughes uses a metaphor—make an argument about how that metaphor helps him do what he does in his poem.

Also, if applicable, attend to the form of the poem ( identify the type of poem, line-breaks, rhythm, stanza breaks, rhyme scheme, etc.). Again, connect your observations about form to your interpretations of the content or theme.

Question 4: Cool. Thanks for your help. Is there anything else I should keep in mind?

Answer: Sure. Here are some general tips for about writing about poetry:

General Tips for Writing About Poetry

Let’s start with the “don’ts” (or “avoids”):.

• AVOID talking about the poem in terms of “today’s society.” If you feel that the social, cultural, and/or historical context discussions are important, or that the author is trying to say something really cool to or about society, then meet the poem on its own turf: Ask yourself: What was happening in society the country, or in a specific community when the poem was written? Why are those facts important to my explication of the poem? Also, avoid using words like “timeless” or “universal” —every poem has its own context, and words like that often make your reader wonder if you’re trying to avoid the work of discussing that poem on its own terms.
• AVOID saying things that are meaningless or obviously true : “Countee Cullen’s poem makes use of diction and syntax.” Of course—a lot of poems do. Instead, ask yourself if there is something distinctive or unusual about his use of diction. If so, then what purpose does it serve in this poem?
• AVOID evaluating the poem in simple terms like “good” and “bad.” This also includes statements like “Brooks’ poem is a realistic example of a guilty mother.” Lots of poets might like to do that, but why is that “realism” important? Try to find something unique or interesting about her portrayal of the mother that makes the poem different from other poems about mothers.

And Now for the “DO”:

Organize the essay in a purposeful manner. You don’t have to write a standard five-paragraph essay, but you do need to give your reader a sense that your paper is headed somewhere. Here are a couple of conventional ways to organize poetry explications:

• The poem begins….
• In the next/following line…
• The speaker immediately adds….
• She then introduces….
• The next stanza begins by saying….
• By formal/stylistic device. For instance, you might have one paragraph on syntax, one on meter, and so on. Again, the key is to show how these different devices illuminate different aspects of the argument. Don’t just repeat, “Cullen’s use of diction [insert thesis here]”; “Cullen’s use of imagery [insert thesis here]”; “Cullen’s use of meter [insert thesis here again].” Show how each of them proves your argument in different ways , or how they illuminate certain complexities in your argument.
• By thematic element. A poem will have several thematic elements going on (sometimes even seemingly contradictory ones), with each contributing to the meaning in a different way, and you can definitely write about them in the same paper. Just remember, be specific . Even two poems written by the same author on the same theme probably present that theme in different ways each time.

Last revised: 8/2008 | Adapted for web delivery: 12/2021 

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44 Writing About Poetry

In the “Intro to Poetry” chapter, we covered the first steps to writing about poetry–choosing a poem and reading it carefully to think about what the poem means to you and to come up with some ideas about what the author is trying to tell readers through the poem. In this chapter, we’ll take the next steps to writing critically about poetry. As we discussed in the previous chapter, these are steps that you’ll need to take when writing about any academic text, as well.

Step 3: Research the Poem

Remember that, while your response and connection to a particular poem is dependent upon your experience, part of better understanding poetry is learning more about the author and the context of the poem. The combination of your own understanding and the support of strong outside sources will make your argument more powerful.

Primary Sources

Primary Evidence is the thing we study. In academic writing, this kind of evidence differs according to discipline. In the field of English literature, primary evidence comes from the poem, novel, short story, play, or memoir you are studying. In this case, your primary source is the poem you have chosen. Always cite the poem in your Works Cited page, along with other outside sources!

A student, for example, might present direct quotes from the novel The Sun Also Rises supporting specific claims he forwards in his argument, as well as summarized and paraphrased passages in which he describes, in his own words, key occurrences in the novel. Below, he summarizes a conversation between Jake and Robert Cohn, condensing a lengthy passage of dialogue into one sentence:

Later, paraphrasing the novel’s description of Jake’s and his friends’ response to a bullfight, the student might translate Hemingway’s words into his own in about the same number of words as the original passage:

These examples from the primary text support the student’s argument, but how does he decide when to quote, summarize, or paraphrase? These decisions are important ones for effectively incorporating primary evidence into an essay. Here are a few guidelines as you consider these options in your own writing:

• Use the shortest quote possible to generate (a) the evidence needed and (b) the effect you seek. Be careful to avoid long quotes unless they serve a significant purpose in forwarding your argument. Do use quotes to “liven up” your argument, to bring the voice of the literary text into your academic prose.
• Use summary to provide a broad-scoped piece of evidence (a long passage from the novel, for example) to the reader. That “Jake and Brett have multiple tension-filled encounters” (Bill’s summary) is evidence that they still care for each other even though they cannot overcome Jake’s impotence to settle into a committed relationship. There may be no need in this section of Bill’s essay to focus more closely on particular tension-filled exchanges.
• Employ paraphrase when the content of a scene or passage is pertinent but does not require the original language itself. Bill’s description of Jake’s and Brett’s behavior during the bullfight is a helpful example of effective paraphrase use.

Secondary Sources

Although the proof that Jake’s struggles reveal the destructive potential of war must come from the novel itself, the primary source, the student can use secondary sources to (a) help explain his perspective on the novel, and (b) indicate how his argument fits into the ongoing scholarly dialogue about the novel. Plenty of people have contributed to the conversation on the meaning of The Sun Also Rises . The student’s goal is to say something new , to bring the reader fresh insight about the novel, to contribute something original to the conversation. To clarify the significance of his argument, he can integrate material from carefully selected scholarly articles .

Start by creating a list of questions about the poem that you’ve chosen. After reading the poem and thinking about it a bit, what questions do you still have? What would you like to know about the author and his/her experiences? For example, if you’ve chosen “Mother to Son,” by Langston Hughes, you might wonder if the poem is about his actual mother. For Steven Crane’s, “War is Kind,” you might wonder what his experience with war was.

While there are certainly times when citing a website or other online source might be appropriate, when writing a paper about literature for an English course, the sources you choose should be scholarly articles and/or books by people who are qualified to discuss literature. Remember, since writing about literature is a step toward learning to write about academic texts, it’s important to also use academic sources in our discussions about literature. While you may have some luck finding good articles or even the full text of books with a google search, your best bet is to use the YC databases. In addition to knowing that you are finding academic sources, another benefit to using the databases is that there is a Cite button on every source that gives you the correct citation!

Here is a video with a brief review of how to use the databases at YC:

If you need more help, do contact the librarians at YC. They are extremely helpful!

About the Author

You might want to begin by seeking the author’s biography. After performing our own analysis, it can be intriguing and sometimes helpful to consider the author’s life. For instance, Hughes wrote during the Harlem Renaissance, the first large-scale African American artistic movement. Although he had read the poetry of many well-regarded British and American poets, he determined to raise the status of African American folk forms, challenging the idea that great art must follow the traditions of European forms. Adding this biographical and historical component to our study increases our understanding of the importance of Hughes’s contribution to the improvement of African American lives and his celebration of African Americans’ part in shaping U.S. culture.

Author’s biographies can often be found in the Literature Criticism by Gale database. The video below shows how to find an author’s biography in the database and showcases how this first source can be a springboard for the rest of your research.

Please note that the Literature Online database has been renamed Literature Criticism by Gale.

About the Poem

The author’s biography might answer many of our research questions. As we continue on in our research, we have several options:

• If you still have additional questions, your next step should be to attempt to try to find the answers to those questions.
• You might choose to try to find a source about the poem you’ve chosen to see what academic writers have said about it. For example, you might search for a source that discusses Dickinson’s “I saw a dying eye” to see what scholars believe it means.
• You might choose to try to find a source that discusses the author’s work as a whole. For example, you might find a source that discusses Langston Hughes’ poetry.
• You might look for a source that focuses on the theme of the poem and uses the poem as an example. For example, you might look at the psychology of grief to better understand “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night.”
• You might look for context of the poem. If the poem is about a historical event, like Browning’s “Meeting at Night” and “Parting at Morning,” you might want to find more information about their love story. Or you might want to look for information about the Civil War to better understand Crane’s perspective on war in “War is Kind.”

It’s a really good idea to create a Research Journal to help you keep track of your sources and what you are learning from them. See “ Keeping a Research Journal ” if you need a reminder of how to create a research journal. Here is a sample research journal based on Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 66”:

Research Journal

De Grazia, Margreta, and Adena Rosmarin. “Interpreting Shakespeare’s Sonnets.” PMLA , vol. 100, no. 5, 1985, pp. 810–812. JSTOR , www.jstor.org/stable/462100. Accessed 23 Mar. 2020.

This is a letter to the editor and a response regarding how to interpret Shakespeare’s sonnets.

“It is well known that Shakespeare’s sonnets were a Romantic obsession because their generically “personal” rhetoric made them seem the key to Shakespeare’s heart” (De Grazia, 811)

HOLTON, AMANDA. “AN OBSCURED TRADITION: THE SONNET AND ITS FOURTEEN-LINE PREDECESSORS.” The Review of English Studies , vol. 62, no. 255, 2011, pp. 373–392. JSTOR , www.jstor.org/stable/23016433. Accessed 23 Mar. 2020.

Notes: History of the sonnet

Henneman, John Bell. “The Man Shakespeare: His Growth as an Artist.” The Sewanee Review , vol. 5, no. 1, 1897, pp. 95–126. JSTOR , www.jstor.org/stable/27527919. Accessed 23 Mar. 2020.

Notes: Biography

Stockard, Emily E. “Patterns of Consolation in Shakespeare’s Sonnets 1-126.” Shakespearean Criticism , edited by Michelle Lee, vol. 42, Gale, 1999. Gale Literature Criticism , https://link-gale-com.proxy.yc.edu/apps/doc/DXUIHA790857588/LCO?u=yava&sid=LCO&xid=65e42aed. Accessed 23 Mar. 2020.

Frost, Adam. Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. ProQuest, Ann Arbor, 2001 . ProQuest , https://proxy.yc.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy.yc.edu/docview/2137919713?accountid=8141.

Notes: Biography of Shakespeare

Bevington, David. “Sonnets.” The Necessary Shakespeare . Pearson, 2009.

Notes: A summary of Shakespeare’s sonnet authorship.

Quotes: “The wary consensus of most scholars is that the sonnets were written over a number of years…before 1598, but some perhaps later and even up to the date of publication in 1609” (Bevington).

“Love and friendship are a refuge for the poet faced with hostile fortune and an indifferent world” (Bevington.”

“…the bond between poet and friend is extraordinarily strong” (Bevington).

“”The English form of three quatrains and a concluding couplet lends itself to a step-by-step development of idea and image, culminating in an epigrammatic two-line conclusion that may summarize the thought of the preceding twelve lines or give a sententious interpretation of the images developed up to this point” (Bevington).

“His emphasis on friendship seems new, for no other sequence addressed a majority of its sonnets to a friend rather than to a mistress…” (Bevington).

“…the exaltation of friendship over love was itself a widespread Neoplatonic commonplace recently popularized in the writings of John Lyly” (Bevington).

Here is a video in which Dr. Palmer shows a class how to conduct research and compile a research journal for Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 66.”

MLA Citation Review

Please complete this lesson on MLA formatting: 

Citing Articles and Books

Here are the basic MLA formats for citing articles and books:

Article online:

Works Cited:  Achenbach, Joel.  “America’s river.”  Washington Post ,  5 May 2002, www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13425-2202May1.html. Accessed 20 July 2003.

In text: (Achenbach, pp)

Article in a database:

Works Cited: Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.”  Historical Journal, vol. 50, no. 1, 2007, pp. 173-96.  ProQuest , doi:10.1017/S0018246X06005966. Accessed 27 May 2009.

In text: (Langhamer, pp)

Works Cited:  Gorman, Elizabeth. Prairie Women. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986.

In text:  (Gorman, pp)

A Poem from This Text:

Works Cited: Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken.” The Worry Free Writer, 2020. http://theworryfreewriter.pressbooks.com.

In text: (Frost)

Note that the in text citation (what is in parenthesis after a quote) is the first word/s in the Works Cited listing.  Every source listed in your Works Cited should be cited at least once in the text of the paper.

Creating a Works Cited page

In an MLA paper, the sources are listed at the end of the paper on the Works Cited page. Please follow the guidelines discussed in the video below when creating your Works Cited page. Remember, you can simply click the cite button for each source you find in the Library Databases for the correct MLA citation.

What if I have two sources from the same author?

• Alphabetize the sources by the title of the work.
• For the second source, use dashes instead of the author’s name to show that the author is the same.
• In your in text citations, use the author’s last name and a shortened version of the title.

Works Cited Entries

Seaman, Donna. “A Poet’s Legacy.” American Libraries, vol. 32, no. 9, 2001, pp. 86. ProQuest, https://proxy.yc.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/trade-journals/poets-legacy/docview/197144349/se-2 .

——. “What Lips My Lips have Kissed: The Loves and Love Poems of Edna St. Vincent Millay / Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay.” The Booklist, vol. 97, no. 22, 2001, pp. 2077. ProQuest, https://proxy.yc.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/trade-journals/what-lips-my-have-kissed-loves-love-poems-edna-st/docview/235487727/se-2 .

In Text Citations

(Seaman, “A Poet’s”)

(Seaman, “What”)

Step 4: Create a Thesis and Outline

Once you have completed your research, your first step is to think about what you want to say about the poem. Hopefully, you are clear at this point about what the poem means to you and what you think the author is trying to say. Now your job is to think of something to say about the poem that is uniquely yours. Topics might include the following:

• What the theme of the poem is.
• How the author uses Elements of Poetry to create the theme of the poem.
• How understanding the author or the cultural context of the poem deepens the meaning.

Generally, your research will guide your decision about what to write about. Think about what you think is the most important thing for readers to understand about the poem.

If you are still completely stumped about what to write about, you might choose the option #2 above because it is pretty straightforward. Since you’ve already done quite a bit of reflecting on the poem, in addition to all of your research, you should have a clear idea of what the theme is and what elements of poetry are used in the poem. Your thesis, then, is a combination of the two. ie “The author shows readers that __________ by using ______, ______, and _______.”

Your paper should have a minimum of three points, but it can have more. Let’s say that a student has chosen Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 66” as their poem. Here is their thesis:

Note that the thesis combines the theme of the poem, as well as the elements of poetry that help to create the theme–emotional plea, irony, asyndeton, antithesis, and parallel structures. Each of these five points would be discussed in its own paragraph in the body of the paper, so each of the points would be one point on the outline. In addition, the student should include some quotes from the poem for each point.

The outline might look something like this:

• Introduction

a)Hook:  It is human nature to sometimes feel as if the world is just too much to bear. We experience tragedy and see injustice and might sometimes feel as if there is no hope left. Often just knowing that we are not alone is enough to push us to persevere another day.

• b) intro to the topic: While we might think this is a modern experience, William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 66” proves that there really is nothing new under the sun.
• c) thesis: In this sonnet, Shakespeare uses an emotional plea, irony, asyndeton, antithesis, and parallel structures to show that, no matter how difficult life seems, the love of one person is enough to make life worth living.
• Author, special circumstances, summary of the poem
• “Tired with all these, for restful death I cry” (Shakespeare, 1).
• “As, to behold a beggar born” (2)
• “And needy, nothing trimmed in jollity” (3)
• Begins each line with “and”
• “purest faith” “unhappily foresworn” (4)
• “gilded honor” “shamefully misplaced” (5)
• “Maiden virtue” “rudely strumpeted” (6)
• “right perfection” “wrongfully displaced”
• parallel structures
• “Strength disabled” (8)
• “art tongue-tied by authority” (9)
• “skill controlled by folly” (10)
• “truth misplaced” (11)
• “good held captive by ill” (12)

Here’s a video in which Dr. Palmer shows students how to create a thesis and outline of Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 66.”

Step 5: Drafting Your Paper

Once you have a clear idea of your thesis and the passages in the work that best support it, you can begin to shape and refine the essay.

Writing an Introduction

Make sure your introduction accurately reflects what you end up saying about the poem. You should start with a hook that connects the theme of the poem to your readers’ experiences. Avoid generalizations, but make sure to have some kind of attention grabber that will draw readers into the paper. Next, introduce the topic–in this case, you will want to include the author’s full name and the title of the poem. Finally, complete your introduction with your thesis.

Here is a video explaining how these three components create the foundation for a strong introduction and conclusion:

Writing the Argument

Make sure your body supports your thesis with good topic sentences and concrete examples…Remember that the best way to support a thesis is to cite and analyze carefully selected passages from the text that relate directly to it. You want to have at LEAST one quote from the poem or your sources in each body paragraph to support your thoughts.

Three parts of a paragraph

• Topic sentence/Claim
• Support/Quote
• Analysis—underscore relevance to thesis

Here’s an example body paragraph from a student paper on Lawrence’s poem, “ Snake .” Note that the parts of the paragraph are formatted to match the three parts listed above.

Note how the last sentence tells the reader what the examples show. Also note that the in text citation shows the LINE of the poem only.

The Quote Formula

The Quote Formula is a formula for using quotes correctly in your writing. Always remember to surround quotes with your own words. You do this by introducing the quote and explaining the quote.

1. Introduce the quote .  Here, you tell readers what the author is doing.

2. Give the quote.  Here, you give an actual quote from the poem. Make sure to use quotation marks. The number after the quote is the line of the poem in which the quote is found.

3. Explain the quote . Tell readers what the quote means.

To illustrate, take a look at the next paragraph in the paper quoted above (formatted to match the three parts of the quote formula).

• Use Present Tense
• Include quotes from the poem (minimum of one per body paragraph)
• Include quotes from outside sources (minimum of one per body paragraph)
• Use MLA citation

Here’s a video in which Dr. Palmer shows how to write a draft of a paper from an outline:

Remember, your paper should be based on your own thoughts and observations about the poem. Your outside research should be used to support and strengthen your own thoughts!

Here’s a draft of the Shakespeare paper we’ve been discussing:

Attributions:

• MLA Citation and Steps content created by Dr. Karen Palmer and licensed under CC BY NC SA .
• All Examples created by Dr. Karen Palmer and licensed under CC BY NC SA .
• Content adapted from “Experiencing the Power of Poetry” by Tanya Long Bennet in Writing and Literature , licensed CC BY SA .

The Worry Free Writer Copyright © 2020 by Dr. Karen Palmer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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A Full Guide to Writing a Perfect Poem Analysis Essay

01 October, 2020

14 minutes read

Author:  Elizabeth Brown

Poem analysis is one of the most complicated essay types. It requires the utmost creativity and dedication. Even those who regularly attend a literary class and have enough experience in poem analysis essay elaboration may face considerable difficulties while dealing with the particular poem. The given article aims to provide the detailed guidelines on how to write a poem analysis, elucidate the main principles of writing the essay of the given type, and share with you the handy tips that will help you get the highest score for your poetry analysis. In addition to developing analysis skills, you would be able to take advantage of the poetry analysis essay example to base your poetry analysis essay on, as well as learn how to find a way out in case you have no motivation and your creative assignment must be presented on time.

What Is a Poetry Analysis Essay?

A poetry analysis essay is a type of creative write-up that implies reviewing a poem from different perspectives by dealing with its structural, artistic, and functional pieces. Since the poetry expresses very complicated feelings that may have different meanings depending on the backgrounds of both author and reader, it would not be enough just to focus on the text of the poem you are going to analyze. Poetry has a lot more complex structure and cannot be considered without its special rhythm, images, as well as implied and obvious sense.

While analyzing the poem, the students need to do in-depth research as to its content, taking into account the effect the poetry has or may have on the readers.

Preparing for the Poetry Analysis Writing

The process of preparation for the poem analysis essay writing is almost as important as writing itself. Without completing these stages, you may be at risk of failing your creative assignment. Learn them carefully to remember once and for good.

Thoroughly read the poem several times

The rereading of the poem assigned for analysis will help to catch its concepts and ideas. You will have a possibility to define the rhythm of the poem, its type, and list the techniques applied by the author.

While identifying the type of the poem, you need to define whether you are dealing with:

• Lyric poem – the one that elucidates feelings, experiences, and the emotional state of the author. It is usually short and doesn’t contain any narration;
• Limerick – consists of 5 lines, the first, second, and fifth of which rhyme with one another;
• Sonnet – a poem consisting of 14 lines characterized by an iambic pentameter. William Shakespeare wrote sonnets which have made him famous;
• Ode – 10-line poem aimed at praising someone or something;
• Haiku – a short 3-line poem originated from Japan. It reflects the deep sense hidden behind the ordinary phenomena and events of the physical world;
• Free-verse – poetry with no rhyme.

The type of the poem usually affects its structure and content, so it is important to be aware of all the recognized kinds to set a proper beginning to your poetry analysis.

Find out more about the poem background

Find as much information as possible about the author of the poem, the cultural background of the period it was written in, preludes to its creation, etc. All these data will help you get a better understanding of the poem’s sense and explain much to you in terms of the concepts the poem contains.

Define a subject matter of the poem

This is one of the most challenging tasks since as a rule, the subject matter of the poem isn’t clearly stated by the poets. They don’t want the readers to know immediately what their piece of writing is about and suggest everyone find something different between the lines.

What is the subject matter? In a nutshell, it is the main idea of the poem. Usually, a poem may have a couple of subjects, that is why it is important to list each of them.

In order to correctly identify the goals of a definite poem, you would need to dive into the in-depth research.

Check the historical background of the poetry. The author might have been inspired to write a poem based on some events that occurred in those times or people he met. The lines you analyze may be generated by his reaction to some epoch events. All this information can be easily found online.

Choose poem theories you will support

In the variety of ideas the poem may convey, it is important to stick to only several most important messages you think the author wanted to share with the readers. Each of the listed ideas must be supported by the corresponding evidence as proof of your opinion.

The poetry analysis essay format allows elaborating on several theses that have the most value and weight. Try to build your writing not only on the pure facts that are obvious from the context but also your emotions and feelings the analyzed lines provoke in you.

How to Choose a Poem to Analyze?

If you are free to choose the piece of writing you will base your poem analysis essay on, it is better to select the one you are already familiar with. This may be your favorite poem or one that you have read and analyzed before. In case you face difficulties choosing the subject area of a particular poem, then the best way will be to focus on the idea you feel most confident about. In such a way, you would be able to elaborate on the topic and describe it more precisely.

Now, when you are familiar with the notion of the poetry analysis essay, it’s high time to proceed to poem analysis essay outline. Follow the steps mentioned below to ensure a brilliant structure to your creative assignment.

Best Poem Analysis Essay Topics

• Mother To Son Poem Analysis
• We Real Cool Poem Analysis
• Invictus Poem Analysis
• Richard Cory Poem Analysis
• Ozymandias Poem Analysis
• Barbie Doll Poem Analysis
• Caged Bird Poem Analysis
• Ulysses Poem Analysis
• Dover Beach Poem Analysis
• Annabelle Lee Poem Analysis
• Daddy Poem Analysis
• The Raven Poem Analysis
• The Second Coming Poem Analysis
• Still I Rise Poem Analysis
• If Poem Analysis
• Fire And Ice Poem Analysis
• My Papa’S Waltz Poem Analysis
• Harlem Poem Analysis
• Kubla Khan Poem Analysis
• I Too Poem Analysis
• The Juggler Poem Analysis
• The Fish Poem Analysis
• Jabberwocky Poem Analysis
• Charge Of The Light Brigade Poem Analysis
• The Road Not Taken Poem Analysis
• Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus Poem Analysis
• The History Teacher Poem Analysis
• One Art Poem Analysis
• The Wanderer Poem Analysis
• We Wear The Mask Poem Analysis
• There Will Come Soft Rains Poem Analysis
• Digging Poem Analysis
• The Highwayman Poem Analysis
• The Tyger Poem Analysis
• London Poem Analysis
• Sympathy Poem Analysis
• I Am Joaquin Poem Analysis
• This Is Just To Say Poem Analysis
• Sex Without Love Poem Analysis
• Strange Fruit Poem Analysis
• Dulce Et Decorum Est Poem Analysis
• Emily Dickinson Poem Analysis
• The Flea Poem Analysis
• The Lamb Poem Analysis
• Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night Poem Analysis
• My Last Duchess Poetry Analysis

Poem Analysis Essay Outline

As has already been stated, a poetry analysis essay is considered one of the most challenging tasks for the students. Despite the difficulties you may face while dealing with it, the structure of the given type of essay is quite simple. It consists of the introduction, body paragraphs, and the conclusion. In order to get a better understanding of the poem analysis essay structure, check the brief guidelines below.

Introduction

This will be the first section of your essay. The main purpose of the introductory paragraph is to give a reader an idea of what the essay is about and what theses it conveys. The introduction should start with the title of the essay and end with the thesis statement.

The main goal of the introduction is to make readers feel intrigued about the whole concept of the essay and serve as a hook to grab their attention. Include some interesting information about the author, the historical background of the poem, some poem trivia, etc. There is no need to make the introduction too extensive. On the contrary, it should be brief and logical.

Body Paragraphs

The body section should form the main part of poetry analysis. Make sure you have determined a clear focus for your analysis and are ready to elaborate on the main message and meaning of the poem. Mention the tone of the poetry, its speaker, try to describe the recipient of the poem’s idea. Don’t forget to identify the poetic devices and language the author uses to reach the main goals. Describe the imagery and symbolism of the poem, its sound and rhythm.

Try not to stick to too many ideas in your body section, since it may make your essay difficult to understand and too chaotic to perceive. Generalization, however, is also not welcomed. Try to be specific in the description of your perspective.

Make sure the transitions between your paragraphs are smooth and logical to make your essay flow coherent and easy to catch.

In a nutshell, the essay conclusion is a paraphrased thesis statement. Mention it again but in different words to remind the readers of the main purpose of your essay. Sum up the key claims and stress the most important information. The conclusion cannot contain any new ideas and should be used to create a strong impact on the reader. This is your last chance to share your opinion with the audience and convince them your essay is worth readers’ attention.

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Poem Analysis Essay Examples 

A good poem analysis essay example may serve as a real magic wand to your creative assignment. You may take a look at the structure the other essay authors have used, follow their tone, and get a great share of inspiration and motivation.

Check several poetry analysis essay examples that may be of great assistance:

• https://study.com/academy/lesson/poetry-analysis-essay-example-for-english-literature.html
• https://www.slideshare.net/mariefincher/poetry-analysis-essay

Writing Tips for a Poetry Analysis Essay

If you read carefully all the instructions on how to write a poetry analysis essay provided above, you have probably realized that this is not the easiest assignment on Earth. However, you cannot fail and should try your best to present a brilliant essay to get the highest score. To make your life even easier, check these handy tips on how to analysis poetry with a few little steps.

• In case you have a chance to choose a poem for analysis by yourself, try to focus on one you are familiar with, you are interested in, or your favorite one. The writing process will be smooth and easy in case you are working on the task you truly enjoy.
• Before you proceed to the analysis itself, read the poem out loud to your colleague or just to yourself. It will help you find out some hidden details and senses that may result in new ideas.
• Always check the meaning of words you don’t know. Poetry is quite a tricky phenomenon where a single word or phrase can completely change the meaning of the whole piece. 
• Bother to double check if the conclusion of your essay is based on a single idea and is logically linked to the main body. Such an approach will demonstrate your certain focus and clearly elucidate your views. 
• Read between the lines. Poetry is about senses and emotions – it rarely contains one clearly stated subject matter. Describe the hidden meanings and mention the feelings this has provoked in you. Try to elaborate a full picture that would be based on what is said and what is meant.

Write a Poetry Analysis Essay with HandmadeWriting

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Writing About Poetry

View in pdf format.

I. Reading Strategies

• Get to know the poem. Critically consider all aspects of the poem: the meanings of individual words, the way the words sound, the amount of syllables per line, how many sentences there are, the shape of the poem on the page, etc. Pay attention to the connection between the form and content: What is significant about the relationship between what the speaker says and how they say it?
• Read and reread. Read the poem several times, both silently and aloud. Your ears will notice things your eyes miss. Look up words you don’t know, and even words you do that may have multiple meanings! The Oxford English Dictionary is a great resource for this research. 
• Annotate! Find a note-taking system that you can easily follow, such as Post-Its/flags, highlighting, and/or writing on a separate paper. Use your system to note repetitions of, and patterns in, meter, rhyme, images, phrases, themes, and ideas. 

II. Defining Argument

Your goal is to identify and discuss a relationship between the literary devices of the poem and their thematic implications. Ask yourself: How do the poem’s elements work together? Do they complement each other? Do they create tension? Both? What does that show? The thesis develops out of questions like these. 

Example Questions: What is Seamus Heaney describing in the poem “Digging”? Why does he use the metaphor of digging? How does it relate to his concept of identity? Why do you think so? What evidence supports that idea? 

To turn your thoughts into a thesis, try breaking them down into: (1) what the literary device is; (2) how it demonstrates your claim; and (3) so what if it does—what does the relationship show about the poem as a whole?

Example Thesis: In “Digging” by Seamus Heaney, the act of digging serves as the poem’s central extended metaphor, paralleling the act of writing as a creative excavation of the speaker’s familial and cultural history with the manual labor of his forebears, to highlight writing as a process of coming to self-knowledge and the imperative role that memory and inheritance play in the negotiation of his identity. 

III. Determining Organization

• Argument progression: Choose an organizational structure that fits your argument; for example, don’t organize the paper by the poem’s progression unless it contributes to your argument.
• Topic sentences: These clearly explain the paragraph’s argument. Their order should show a logical sequence of thought that reflects the structure of your thesis/argument. 
• Evidence: Evidence concerns who, what, and when: the facts. Quotes are the main form of evidence to prove your claim. Integrate quotes with context from text.

Example: The speaker illustrates the distinct mastery of his father, a potato farmer, and his grandfather, a peat farmer, through two flashbacks into their respective drill and bog where they serve as experts “root[ing] tall tops” and “nicking and slicing [peat] neatly” (Heaney 12, 22).

• Analyzing evidence: Quotes don’t speak for themselves; use your analysis to argue how and why your evidence supports your claim and to explain your claim’s implications for the text. 

Example: The use of flashback underscores the necessary role of memory in the speaker’s ability to understand his sense of self. Moreover, using two flashbacks into memories of his father and grandfather emphasizes the inescapability of his agricultural inheritance. The images presented in the flashbacks employ technical diction, such as “rooting” and “nicking and slicing,” related to the respective crops his ancestors cultivated. The consonance of “tall tops” and internal rhyme of the latter phrase, however, demonstrate the speaker’s poetic expertise and precision in turn. He admits, “I’ve no spade to follow men like them” (27). He highlights the spade as the tool which defines his ancestors’ expertise and shows that the way he digs contrasts theirs. He digs by writing. 

• Tense: Use present tense to refer to events that occur in a poem. Use past tense to refer to historical events that happen outside of the text. 

Example of present tense: The simile of the pen as the gun shows the pen to be a symbol of power. 

Example of past tense: Seamus Heaney published the autobiographical collection Death of a Naturalist in 1966. 

IV. Citations: When citing poetry, refer to line numbers. If your poem is not numbered, take the time to do that. When referring to multiple lines, indicate where lines end by separating them with a slash “/”.

Example: He begins with a corporeal image of a hand and a pen: “between my finger and my thumb / The squat pen rests; snug as a gun” (Heaney 1-2).

V. Key Terms in Poetry

• Speaker vs. Poet: The speaker of the poem is often not the same as the poet themselves, so when you write, use language like “the speaker states.”
• Lines, Sentences, and Stanzas: A line is a single row of words, which does not have to be a full sentence. For analysis, it is worth counting the syllables in each line to see if there is a pattern. Lines end in line breaks , which can be end-stopped or enjambed; end-stopped lines have a period, whereas enjambed lines don’t end with punctuation. Some, but not all, poems have full sentences , which can end at any point in the line. A stanza is a group of lines visually separated from other groups; blank lines between stanzas are stanza breaks . Stanzas can also be called verses.

Thanks to Gabriela de Mendonça Gomes ‘24 for a thorough rewrite. Thanks also to Seth DuCharme, '92. Thanks always to Jennifer Ambrose, Director of the Writing Center. 

Copyright 2024, Nesbitt-Johnston Writing Center, Hamilton College 

Hamilton.edu/writing

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12.6: Literary Thesis Statements

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• Page ID 43636

• Heather Ringo & Athena Kashyap
• City College of San Francisco via ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative

The Literary Thesis Statement

Literary essays are argumentative or persuasive essays. Their purpose is primarily analysis, but analysis for the purposes of showing readers your interpretation of a literary text. So the thesis statement is a one to two sentence summary of your essay's main argument, or interpretation.

Just like in other argumentative essays, the thesis statement should be a kind of opinion based on observable fact about the literary work.

Thesis Statements Should Be

• This thesis takes a position. There are clearly those who could argue against this idea.
• Look at the text in bold. See the strong emphasis on how form (literary devices like symbolism and character) acts as a foundation for the interpretation (perceived danger of female sexuality).
• Through this specific yet concise sentence, readers can anticipate the text to be examined ( Huckleberry Finn) , the author (Mark Twain), the literary device that will be focused upon (river and shore scenes) and what these scenes will show (true expression of American ideals can be found in nature).

Thesis Statements Should NOT Be

• While we know what text and author will be the focus of the essay, we know nothing about what aspect of the essay the author will be focusing upon, nor is there an argument here.
• This may be well and true, but this thesis does not appear to be about a work of literature. This could be turned into a thesis statement if the writer is able to show how this is the theme of a literary work (like "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid) and root that interpretation in observable data from the story in the form of literary devices.
• Yes, this is true. But it is not debatable. You would be hard-pressed to find someone who could argue with this statement. Yawn, boring.
• This may very well be true. But the purpose of a literary critic is not to judge the quality of a literary work, but to make analyses and interpretations of the work based on observable structural aspects of that work.
• Again, this might be true, and might make an interesting essay topic, but unless it is rooted in textual analysis, it is not within the scope of a literary analysis essay. Be careful not to conflate author and speaker! Author, speaker, and narrator are all different entities! See: intentional fallacy.

Thesis Statement Formula

One way I find helpful to explain literary thesis statements is through a "formula":

Thesis statement = Observation + Analysis + Significance

• Observation: usually regarding the form or structure of the literature. This can be a pattern, like recurring literary devices. For example, "I noticed the poems of Rumi, Hafiz, and Kabir all use symbols such as the lover's longing and Tavern of Ruin "
• Analysis: You could also call this an opinion. This explains what you think your observations show or mean. "I think these recurring symbols all represent the human soul's desire." This is where your debatable argument appears.
• Significance: this explains what the significance or relevance of the interpretation might be. Human soul's desire to do what? Why should readers care that they represent the human soul's desire? "I think these recurring symbols all show the human soul's desire to connect with God. " This is where your argument gets more specific.

Thesis statement: The works of ecstatic love poets Rumi, Hafiz, and Kabir use symbols such as a lover’s longing and the Tavern of Ruin to illustrate the human soul’s desire to connect with God .

Thesis Examples

SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS

These sample thesis statements are provided as guides, not as required forms or prescriptions.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Literary Device Thesis Statement

The thesis may focus on an analysis of one of the elements of fiction, drama, poetry or nonfiction as expressed in the work: character, plot, structure, idea, theme, symbol, style, imagery, tone, etc.

In “A Worn Path,” Eudora Welty creates a fictional character in Phoenix Jackson whose determination, faith, and cunning illustrate the indomitable human spirit.

Note that the work, author, and character to be analyzed are identified in this thesis statement. The thesis relies on a strong verb (creates). It also identifies the element of fiction that the writer will explore (character) and the characteristics the writer will analyze and discuss (determination, faith, cunning).

The character of the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet serves as a foil to young Juliet, delights us with her warmth and earthy wit, and helps realize the tragic catastrophe.

The Genre / Theory Thesis Statement

The thesis may focus on illustrating how a work reflects the particular genre’s forms, the characteristics of a philosophy of literature, or the ideas of a particular school of thought.

“The Third and Final Continent” exhibits characteristics recurrent in writings by immigrants: tradition, adaptation, and identity.

Note how the thesis statement classifies the form of the work (writings by immigrants) and identifies the characteristics of that form of writing (tradition, adaptation, and identity) that the essay will discuss.

Samuel Beckett’s Endgame reflects characteristics of Theatre of the Absurd in its minimalist stage setting, its seemingly meaningless dialogue, and its apocalyptic or nihilist vision.

A close look at many details in “The Story of an Hour” reveals how language, institutions, and expected demeanor suppress the natural desires and aspirations of women.

Generative Questions

One way to come up with a riveting thesis statement is to start with a generative question. The question should be open-ended and, hopefully, prompt some kind of debate.

• What is the effect of [choose a literary device that features prominently in the chosen text] in this work of literature?
• How does this work of literature conform or resist its genre, and to what effect?
• How does this work of literature portray the environment, and to what effect?
• How does this work of literature portray race, and to what effect?
• How does this work of literature portray gender, and to what effect?
• What historical context is this work of literature engaging with, and how might it function as a commentary on this context?

These are just a few common of the common kinds of questions literary scholars engage with. As you write, you will want to refine your question to be even more specific. Eventually, you can turn your generative question into a statement. This then becomes your thesis statement. For example,

• How do environment and race intersect in the character of Frankenstein's monster, and what can we deduce from this intersection?

Expert Examples

While nobody expects you to write professional-quality thesis statements in an undergraduate literature class, it can be helpful to examine some examples. As you view these examples, consider the structure of the thesis statement. You might also think about what questions the scholar wondered that led to this statement!

• "Heart of Darkness projects the image of Africa as 'the other world,' the antithesis of Europe and therefore civilization, a place where man's vaunted intelligence and refinement are finally mocked by triumphant bestiality" (Achebe 3).
• "...I argue that the approach to time and causality in Boethius' sixth-century Consolation of Philosophy can support abolitionist objectives to dismantle modern American policing and carceral systems" (Chaganti 144).
• "I seek to expand our sense of the musico-poetic compositional practices available to Shakespeare and his contemporaries, focusing on the metapoetric dimensions of Much Ado About Nothing. In so doing, I work against the tendency to isolate writing as an independent or autonomous feature the work of early modern poets and dramatists who integrated bibliographic texts with other, complementary media" (Trudell 371).

Works Cited

Achebe, Chinua. "An Image of Africa" Research in African Literatures 9.1 , Indiana UP, 1978. 1-15.

Chaganti, Seeta. "Boethian Abolition" PMLA 137.1 Modern Language Association, January 2022. 144-154.

"Thesis Statements in Literary Analysis Papers" Author unknown. https://resources.finalsite.net/imag...handout__1.pdf

Trudell, Scott A. "Shakespeare's Notation: Writing Sound in Much Ado about Nothing " PMLA 135.2, Modern Language Association, March 2020. 370-377.

Contributors and Attributions

Thesis Examples. Authored by: University of Arlington Texas. License: CC BY-NC

Death by Suicide in Poems by Robert Frost

This essay about the exploration of suicide themes in Robert Frost’s poetry. It discusses how Frost subtly incorporates themes of isolation, despair, and existential angst in his works, providing profound insights into the complexities of mortality. Through analysis of poems such as “Acquainted with the Night,” “Out, Out—,” and “The Wood-Pile,” the essay highlights Frost’s use of evocative imagery and introspective narratives to convey the emotional turmoil and contemplation of suicide experienced by his characters. By examining these themes, the essay emphasizes Frost’s ability to provoke reflection on the darker aspects of the human condition while reminding readers of the importance of empathy and understanding in confronting despair.

How it works

Robert Frost, renowned for his contemplative verses on nature and the human condition, subtly delves into the theme of suicide across several of his poems. While Frost’s works are often celebrated for their pastoral beauty, a closer examination reveals underlying layers of existential despair and contemplation of mortality. Through nuanced imagery and introspective narratives, Frost provides profound insights into the complexities surrounding death by suicide.

One of Frost’s notable poems exploring this theme is “Acquainted with the Night.” In this haunting piece, the speaker wanders through the city streets in the darkness, grappling with a profound sense of isolation and despair.

The repetition of the phrase “I have been one acquainted with the night” underscores the speaker’s familiarity with loneliness and melancholy. Through evocative imagery and a somber tone, Frost captures the profound sense of emptiness that can accompany thoughts of suicide.

Similarly, “Out, Out—” depicts a tragic accident involving a young boy who loses his hand while working with a buzz saw. Despite the poem’s focus on the fragility of life and the inevitability of death, it also touches upon themes of despair and hopelessness. The abruptness of the boy’s death and the indifferent response of those around him highlight the harsh realities of mortality. Through this poignant narrative, Frost invites readers to contemplate the fleeting nature of existence and the despair that can arise in the face of tragedy.

In “The Wood-Pile,” Frost explores themes of alienation and existential angst through the lens of a solitary wanderer in the wilderness. As the speaker reflects on his surroundings, he contemplates the futility of human existence and the inevitability of death. The woodpile itself serves as a symbol of mortality, gradually decaying over time. Through vivid descriptions and introspective musings, Frost captures the profound sense of existential dread that can lead individuals to contemplate suicide.

In conclusion, Robert Frost’s poetry offers profound insights into the theme of death by suicide, weaving together themes of isolation, despair, and existential angst. Through evocative imagery and introspective narratives, Frost invites readers to confront the complexities of mortality and the human condition. While his works may be celebrated for their pastoral beauty, they also serve as poignant reflections on the darker aspects of the human experience. Through his exploration of these themes, Frost reminds us of the importance of empathy, understanding, and compassion in the face of despair.

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Winners of the 2024 Writing Contests

The winners of the 2024 Writing Contests have now been named.

Thank you to all who submitted work! All entries were read by at least two judges with entrants names removed, to ensure a fair process. The awards ceremony will be held on Friday, April 26, at 1 p.m. , in the Greenberg Center.  Please see the list of winners below:

Melvin Goldstein Awards for Papers on Film/Art Using Interdisciplinary Approaches

First Place: Warren Parton Second Place: MaKenna Sweeney Third Place (tie): Christopher Hinson, Kendall Grenolds

Joseph Doyle Prize for Best Critical Essay Written in an Introductory Class

First Place (tie): Indiana Pellegrino, Diana Isaacs Second Place: Emma Walsh Honorable Mention: Camille Henri

Phyllis B. Abrahms Awards in Drama

First Place: MaKenna Sweeney Second Place: Kendall Grenolds Third Place: Brendan C. McGee

Phyllis B. Abrahms Awards in Poetry

First Place: Alexa Schwartz Second Place: Shelby Barrett-Whitmore Third Place: Kendall Grenolds Honorable Mentions: MaKenna Sweeney, Sophie Lee

Phyllis B. Abrahms Awards in Fiction

First Place: Kyle Mieczkowski Second Place: Kaitlyn Hirtle Third Place: Sequoia Hornsby Honorable Mention: Isabella Ruiz

Phyllis B. Abrams Awards in the Personal Essay

First Place (tie): Shelby Barrett-Whitmore, Alexa Schwartz Second Place: Gianna Balsamo

Joseph Doyle Prize for Critical Essays on American Literature

First Place: Indiana Pellegrino          Second Place: Joshua Weiner

Melvin Goldstein Awards for Papers on Literature Using Interdisciplinary Approaches

First Place: Alyssa Archambault Honorable Mentions: Warren Parton, Joshua Weiner

Phyllis B. Abrahms Awards for Critical Essays on Literature Other than American Literature

First Place: Roz Green Second Place (tie): Warren Parton, Albert Vargas

Minerva Nieditz Awards for Metaphysical Poetry

First Place: Nell Shore Sirotin Second Place: Nawilda Vasquez Third Place: Isabella Ruiz

Joseph Doyle Prize for Best Personal Essay Written in an Introductory Class

First Place: Sequoia Hornsby Second Place: Diana Isaacs

Congratulations to all of those who will receive awards!

This year, winners will receive:

Questions? Please email Ben Grossberg at [email protected] .