How to write a critical appreciation of poetry? Appreciation of Poetry

 

APPRECIATION OF POETRY

Appreciation of poetry is an attempt to understand, analyze and evaluate a work of art written by a poet. In short, it is an exercise of dissecting the poetry. Just as a doctor dissects the human body to understand different organs of body and their functions, in the same manner a critic or a student of literature too dissects the whole poetic compositions of the poem to understand the role and functions of various words, lines, stanzas, thoughts and poetic devices used by the poet. This process is called the appreciation of poetry.

APPRECIATION OF POETRY

1.  Poet’s Life and Works

2.  Title of the Poem

3.  Summary of the poem

4.  Theme of the Poem

5.  Type of the Poem

6.  Composition of the Poem

7.  Rhyme and Meter of the Poem

8.  Figures of Speech in the Poem

 

1.     Poet’s Life and Works:

In the beginning, the reader has to find out some basic details about the life and major works of the poet. The time and social environment in which the poet lived influences his mind and personality. Hence, we need to know during which period and in which society and culture he lived. We also need to find out what kinds of poetry he has written during his life time.

2.     Title of the Poem:

Second step is to think about the title of the poem. Title gives us an overall idea about the poem as the index tells us about the book. Title of the poem expresses the main thesis or idea.

3.     Summary of the Poem:

Poetry is written in the form of stanzas. The reader has to understand what the poet expressed in each stanza. Reading poetry line-wise and stanza-wize gives us an exact idea about the poem. Hence, while appreciating a poem, we need to note down the line-wize and stanza-wise summary of the poem.

4.     Thesis of the Poem:

Thesis means the central theme or idea. No poem can exist without some serious thought. Theme is the heart and soul of poetry. While appreciating poetry, our most important job is to fetch out this central idea and discuss it in detail.

5.     Type of the Poem:

Different poets prefer to write different types of poetry. If one poet writes a personal poem, the other may wish to write an impersonal poem. If one writes a lyric, the other might write an epic. If one poet writes a narrative poem, the other poet might write a reflective poem. Hence, while reading the poem, we need to decide which kind or type of poetry the poet has written.

6.     Composition of the Poem:

Here, we need to examine the poetic structure. Poems are written in stanzas. As a reader, we need to see which type of stanzas (couplets / tercets / quatrains / quintains / sestets / rhyme royal / octaves) are used by the poet. The poet chooses different methods of stanzas which fit to the subject matter.

7.     Rhyme and Meter:

Poetry is different from prose only because of the use of rhyme and meter. Every rhyme and meter imparts a different effect to the poem.  We need to examine the rhyming scheme of the poem. (ABAB, ABBA, AABB) There are different meters like Iambus, Trochee, Anapaest, Dactyl etc. used by the poets. We need to find out the rising and falling rhythm in the poem and need to see how it affects the overall idea of the poem.

8.     Figures of Speech:

As the woman uses various ornaments to look more beautiful, the poet uses ornaments of language (figures of speech) to make his language more alarming, touching and effective. Complex and philosophical ideas are expressed by the poet with the help of figures of speech like simile, metaphor, alliteration, assonance, hyperbole, climax, anti-climax and so on. As a reader of poetry, we have to find out which figures of speech are used in which lines and how these figures contribute to express the ideas easily and effectively.

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