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Analysing poetry at Terminale level requires attention to form, language, and meaning simultaneously. Form : structure (number of stanzas, lines per stanza, rhyme scheme ABAB/ABBA/free verse), metre (regular rhythm vs free verse), line length, enjambment, caesura. Language devices : Imagery : visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, gustatory images. Metaphor, simile, personification, apostrophe, hyperbole, understatement. Alliteration (repetition of initial consonants), assonance (vowel sounds), onomatopoeia (sound-meaning link). Repetition, anaphora (repetition at the start of lines), refrain. Irony and tone. Meaning : literal meaning + symbolic/deeper meaning. Context : historical, biographical, cultural — how does it affect the poem? Poets often studied : Senghor (Négritude), Césaire, Langston Hughes, Pablo Neruda, Emily Dickinson, Wilfred Owen (war poetry).
Exercise 1 : Analyse this poem extract.
'I have a dream that one day
this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'
(Martin Luther King, 1963)
1. Identify the rhetorical devices used.
2. What is the central message?
3. How does the repetition of 'I have a dream' function?
4. What tone does the speaker adopt?
Exercise 2 : Write a 10-line poem on the theme of identity, using at least 3 of the devices studied.
What is the difference between metaphor and simile?
Correction
A simile compares two things using 'like' or 'as': 'Her voice was like music.' A metaphor states that one thing IS another: 'Her voice was music.' Metaphors are generally considered more powerful because they make the identification complete, not just a comparison. Both create vivid imagery.
What is anaphora and what effect does it create?
Correction
Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or sentences. Example: 'I have a dream... I have a dream... I have a dream...' (King). Effect: creates rhythm and momentum, emphasises the central idea, builds emotional intensity, and makes the text memorable. It is a powerful rhetorical and poetic device.
How do you approach the analysis of a poem you have never seen before?
Correction
Step 1 — Read twice: first for general understanding, second for details. Step 2 — Identify the speaker, subject, and tone. Step 3 — Note the form (rhyme, rhythm, stanza structure). Step 4 — Identify literary devices and annotate. Step 5 — Consider the deeper meaning/theme. Step 6 — Structure your analysis around 2-3 axes linking form to meaning.