Poetry Analysis
July 4th, 2020
Directions: Answer 8 of the following questions for two poems below. Look up any literary terms you may not be familiar with or refer to the handout from the last assignment. Remember that poetry is the fine art of saying the most with as few, well-chosen words as possible. As a result, each poetic line has much meaning crammed into just a few words, so that the reader has to play detective and figure out the implied meaning. All selections can all be found on Poetryfoundation.org. 50 points. Do a third poem and get 10 extra credit points!
- What, if anything, is suggested by the title?
- Summarize the poem in a sentence or two.
- What is the theme of the poem?
- Identify any symbols in the poem.
- Take one line from the poem and explicate (fully explain) it.
- Discuss one way in which the poem mirrors our country today.
- Find one simile/metaphor
- Cite and discuss any use of personification.
- Which line carries the most vivid imagery?
- Identify one good example of vivid diction (word choice) which helps convey the meaning of the poem.
“America” by Claude McKay
“The World is Too Much with Us” by William Wordsworth
“We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
