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10/31/2020 HUM-200 - Page 1.3.1 - How to Read Literature

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Applied Humanities

Learning to Read How to Read Literature By Eric Steineger 1 Module One: Introduction to the Humanities / Page 1.3.1 How to Read Literature On this page: 0 of 3 attempted (0%) | 0 of 3 correct (0%) Objective: Identify strategies for analyzing literature.

This is a photograph of a cut piece of paper with writing in Spanish on it. There is handwriting and lines drawn over the top of the paper.

Work by Pablo Lehmann. Cut-out paper, 2006.

Image courtesy of Pablo Lehmann

Some regard poetry as a strange art form, an impenetrable collection of words whose meaning is known only to its creator. Not true. Yes, poetry is a compression of language, a distillation designed to be beautiful, impactful, sometimes funny, sometimes maddening—but always meaningful.

Below are some tips for reading and understanding poems. Later, we’ll use John Keats’s “Ode on a Grecian Urn” as an example.

Five Strategies for Analyzing a Poem

10/31/2020 HUM-200 - Page 1.3.1 - How to Read Literature

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On this page, you will learn some basic strategies to use when analyzing a poem.

To read a poem like a pro, you’ll want to adopt these basic strategies:

1. Don’t Be Intimidated 2. Read the Poem Aloud 3. Establish Context 4. Identify Key Aspects 5. Form an Impression

Briefly consider each of these steps, and then read through “Ode on a Grecian Urn.”

1. Don’t be intimidated! Experience a poem with an open mind.

First, don’t confuse a poem for a math equation. A poem is not a problem to be solved, with only one right answer possible. Poetry is largely subjective and depends on the reader’s interpretation. Most good poetry has that quality: It leaves something for the reader to interpret. Remember that it’s your job to adapt to the work in question—not for the work to adapt to you. This is especially true if the poem is unusual, or from antiquity, like one of Homer’s epic poems.

Multiple-Choice Question

What does it mean to not be intimidated by a poem?

Don’t be afraid of it. Don’t be confused by it. Don’t be sad about it. Don’t be frustrated by it.

2. Start by reading the poem aloud.

Don’t try to understand a poem immediately—just let the words sink in. You might bump into images, sounds, and ideas, but just concentrate on what’s there. Don’t rip into the poem with an agenda. Let it surprise you. Take note of what you don’t understand. That may include unfamiliar words, shifts in the narrative, or parts of the poem that appear to be missing. You might need to look up definitions and research the poet or the poem.

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3. Establish context. What can we compare it to?

As mentioned above, poetry is not math. We’re not looking for “the answer” but instead are seeking to be perceptive. How do we reach our interpretation of what the poem means or is doing? By spending time with the poem, making new discoveries during a second or third read, and understanding its context. Try to locate the poem in terms of where and when it was written. If that information isn’t provided, look for clues in the poem itself. Does the language seem antiquated, like dialogue from a Shakespeare play, or does it feel more modern? The better we can place a poem, the better our chances of comprehending it. If I read a poem by Langston Hughes, knowing that he was a pivotal figure in the Harlem Renaissance will influence how I understand the words and ideas in the poem.

Multiple-Choice Question

What does it mean to establish the context of a poem?

to understand how your classmates feel about the poem to understand your personal feelings about the poem to understand that the poem can appeal to anyone, anywhere to understand the circumstances in which the poem was written

4. Identify key aspects.

Go back to the poem. Who is speaking? Who is the audience? Is there a message that can be gleaned from a few prominent lines? Does the poet use repetition to solidify ideas or phrases? Do the stanzas (poetry’s paragraphs) or lines (poetry’s sentences) appear to be connected? Does the poet use enjambment (running a line onto the next line or even the next stanza) to keep the poem rolling? Poets are under no obligation to conclude each line with a period. That’s part of the freedom of poetry!

5. Form an initial impression.

Assume that every choice in the poem is deliberate—that the poet meant to capitalize this word or that one, that the spacing is intentional and the syntax (the sequence of words) is too. Why make those choices? As readers, are we supposed to “land” on certain moments?

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Go back to the poem again, and consider scribbling notes as you read. Start to piece together your impressions. Remember that there are no right answers, but there may be better answers. We learn by doing, and like anything else, analyzing poetry takes practice.

Multiple-Choice Question

Which of these statements gives the BEST overall advice for reading a poem?

Think about the title of the poem and what it could mean. Read the poem aloud more than once and take notes as you go. Read the poem only once and then take notes on what you remember. Think about why the poet used or did not use punctuation.

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