Have you ever looked at a poem and felt it was just like a cloud of words drifting on the page- floating, disconnected, and refusing to make sense? You’re definitely not alone. Poetry can feel confusing at first glance because it relies heavily on connotations, symbolism and figurative language. The literal meaning is never the full story.
But here’s the good news:
You don’t need to instantly “get” a poem. You just need a process.
Below is a clear, step-by-step method you can rely on in any unseen poetry question, whether you’re in Year 7 or preparing for the HSC.
Your No.1 goal is always the same: answer the question. ALWAYS.
It is crucial that the marker can see alignment between your response and the marking criteria.
When reading the question, identify three key elements:
The focus tells you exactly what information the questioner wants. It’s usually revealed by a wh-word like who, what, when, where, why, or how.
Understanding the focus immediately guides your answer, ensuring you don't address the wrong concept. It's the core around which the rest of your response is built.
The directive verb in an English question is absolutely crucial because it sets the action. Words like identify, explain, analyse, and evaluate each require different depths of thinking.
If the question says analyse, but you only describe, you will lose marks.
This is the limiting aspect of the question, often a technique, idea, or focus area.
Reading the question carefully at the start means you don’t wander off-track later. It is very important to address the specific techniques, themes or human experiences mentioned in the question, as after all, we are here to answer the question!
It’s absolutely vital to read English texts carefully, especially when you’re analysing them! A quick once-over just won't cut it. Think of your reading as a two-pass system.
First read- Emotion + Meaning
The first time you read a poem, your main goal is to understand the big picture meaning and have an emotional response.
Ask yourself:
Think of it like an orientation day. You’re getting a sense of direction, tone, and the speaker’s perspective.
Noticing your immediate reactions to key moments or words is crucial because the poet crafted the text to provoke those feelings. Try to make sense of the whole poem in a macro, big-picture way.
Second read- Techniques + Patterns
The second read is where you switch gears from "What's it about?" to "How did the author achieve that?"
With the big picture in mind, zoom in on the poem’s craftsmanship.
Actively hunt for literary devices (not the Beast, but almost):
Mark or note them. (mentally if you can’t use a pen during reading time). Don't just list them; consider why the poet chose each device in each specific place.
The goal of the second read is to gather the textual evidence we need:
Don’t waste your reading time; this step lays the foundation for your argument.
Now that we have done our brief first read and hunted for specifics in our second read, we are ready to move into full analysis. FRATS gives you a structured way to break the poem down:
F — Form
R — Rhyme
A — Audience
T — Tone
S — Style
Form refers to the poem's overall structural blueprint. The poem may be a sonnet, a haiku, a ballad, a set of vignettes, or free verse. You're looking at things like the number of lines (micro form), stanza organisation (macro form), and the use of a meter (e.g. iambic pentameter).
Form is never arbitrary. It shapes content and hints at meaning.
For instance, a rigid sonnet may reflect love, reflection, or a sudden realisation, while free verse offers flexibility to match rhythm to natural speech. As always, find the purpose behind the poet writing and crafting this poem in the way it was written. Linking the Why with the structure.
Some questions to ask yourself:
Rhyme contributes to musicality and pattern.
Consider:
Rhyme creates expectations and provides a sense of unity. When a poet breaks an expected rhyme pattern, it often signals an important shift in meaning or emotion.
Analysing the rhyme helps us understand how sound reinforces the poem's meaning. Not just that, even an irregular rhyme can mean something: chaos, disorder, or emotional upheaval. It is crucial that we identify how the sound patterns support meaning.
Think of a poem as a special kind of message, addressed to a specific audience.
The audience might be:
Identifying the intended audience helps you understand the poet's word choices and level of complexity. For example, a poem written for children will use simpler language and themes than a philosophical poem written for academics.
Considering the audience clarifies the poem's purpose and how its message is tailored. Extending further, the audience can also be called responders, as they emotionally respond and engage with the themes presented.
Tone is the speaker’s attitude toward the subject matter, the emotional colouring created through diction and syntax.
Is it joyful? Sarcastic? Melancholic? Bitter? Reverent?
Tone differs from mood:
Look closely at verbs and adjectives to identify tone accurately.
Style is the poet’s unique voice, their fingerprint.
This includes:
Analysing style helps you appreciate how the poet shapes meaning and crafts emotional impact.
Now link your FRATS insights back to the question and the poem’s purpose.
Re-reading the question prevents you from giving a generic analysis that doesn’t actually address the prompt.
Actively underline:
This ensures your final argument is sharp and directly answers what was asked, not just what you found interesting.
Think of it as browsing through aisles of lollipops, bubblegum and gummies in a candy store, but only paying for one type at the cashier- the one the question demands.
This is the most crucial step: answering the question with a strong, structured paragraph.
P — Point
A direct statement answering the question.
E — Evidence
A short, precise quote along with the technique used.
E — Explanation
Your analysis using FRATS. Explain how the technique creates meaning and why it matters.
L — Link
Connect the explanation back to the question and the poem’s purpose.
A well-built PEEL paragraph is like a sturdy wall: structured, strong, and purposeful.
When analysing a poem, be careful to avoid a few common pitfalls.
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