Poetry Explication:
The prior textbook to this class defines a poetry explication as “A detailed analysis of a work of literature, often word by word and line by line; a close reading”. You will receive a detailed explanation of explications via Canvas. However, these definitions can essentially be boiled down to an answer to a simple question “What does this poem mean?” For this assignment, write a 1200-1500 word essay in which you construct an argument that discusses what a poem from this unit means. Your discussion, in addition to analyzing the meaning of the poem at length, should use the vocabulary from the literary terms sheet (e.g., imagery, metaphor, simile, theme, or any other literary term that applies to poetry).
As you look at the poem, consider what tools the author uses to create meaning in the poem:
Start with the steps at the end of this assignment to help you get a general understanding of the poem.
One of the things you may want to consider is the manner in which the speaker shows you the meaning of the poem.
What images are present in the poem that affects the way we view the message that the poem is trying to convey?
Is there an overriding or extended metaphor in the poem(s)? If so, what?
Is the poem allegorical? If so, to what?
How does the form of the poem affect the meaning?
How does the social atmosphere in which the poem was written affect it?
Don’t just answer these questions and call it an essay, but carefully read the poem and discover for yourself what the poem means. Whatever you choose to focus on in this essay, remember to create an argument in your thesis and support that argument throughout the essay with evidence from the poem and secondary sources. Please use at least three secondary sources to support your thesis. You will also be asked to have a works cited page listing the poem and your secondary sources. Your essay should be written in the third person.
Please Note: Assume that your reader has read the poem. Please do not write a “book report” essay where you just summarize the poem. For an article on the difference between summary and analysis, please go to