Taking Notes on Poetry

I find it almost impossible, really. But this system works, as far as identifying major themes, common verbal and metaphoric elements, and formal quirks and preferences. Take a sheet of paper, and rule it off into four columns. At the top, write down the poet and the book. Then label each of the columns:

THEME/ISSUE/CONCERN

This is where you write down, briefly, the human questions which seem to nag at the poet. Put down page numbers where the issue surfaces, directly or implicitly.

WORD

Does the poet have any favorite words? Or does he/she employ any particularly knotty words? Again, put page numbers where the culprits can be found.

This is also a column in which you might include generalizations, such as "this poet seems to use a lot of medical terminology" or "this poet seems to prefer simple, monosyllabic language," or "why so much botany?"

METAPHOR

Look for recurrences or prominences - things which stand out. As usual, label the metaphor and put the page number(s) where it occurs

FORM

Does the poet usually write free verse? Have a predilection for sonnets? Villanelles? [If you don't know the jargon, just make a note where some complex form occurs, and we'll try to label it in class. Or you can use one of the better "dictionaries" of poetic forms.] Are the poems usually long or short? Are the lines usually long or short?

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