Review rhyming techniques in class. Have students then read the target poem aloud several times. They should listen for rhymes, identify whether the poem has a rhyme scheme and analyze its effect. Have them listen for other poetic devices such as internal rhyme, alliteration and assonance; point out the first few instances during a read-aloud, then guide students to find more examples. Have them note their observations on their copy of the poem. If the poem has a specific meter, point it out. Remind them that meter coupled with rhyme scheme can help them identify the type of poem. These strategies give readers an entrance into a poem.
Poets use a variety of devices to create images in their readers' heads. Students need to visualize the images by paying attention to the poet's word choice. With sensory words, have students picture the experience they evoke. Advise them to make connections to these experiences. Students can also identify any metaphors in the poem and reflect on what images these comparisons make. For example, Langston Hughes uses a strong image of run-down stairs as a metaphor for life in "Mother to Son." Students can visualize such an image to better understand the poem.
Students look deeper into the poem by analyzing its content. Ask them who the speaker of the poem is, whether it's the poet, a specific persona or an omniscient narrator. Guide them to analyze word choice for the tone of the poem. For example, Sylvia Plath's choice of words such as “scraped flat" and "barb wire snare" in "Daddy" creates an angry tone. Ask students to reflect on whether the speaker and the tone create tension in the poem, as it does in "Daddy." If so, they should identify the conflict. Have students summarize the poem in their own words.
Students should consider what message the poet is trying to get across. To find the theme, have them identify the content, especially topic and setting, then analyze how poetic devices convey the poet's attitude toward them. They should also look at word choice, especially considering whether the poet uses any words with emotional connotations. Putting these pieces together gives students a guide to the poem's theme. For example, students can look at the topic of run-down stairs as a metaphor for life coupled with deliberate word choices such as "I'se still climbin'." Allow them to come up with their own ideas about what message the poem conveys. Students can use these strategies together to construct meaning from a poem.