-explain how the poem gets its specific message across through the techniques it uses.

-Try not to focus too much on the construction aspects of the poem unless it definitely contributes to the poem’s meaning. This isn’t an essay where nitpicking the rhythm and syllable count is a necessity, focus more on the meaning and what the poet uses to achieve said meaning.

Here’s some general advice:

• Remember that you put poems in “quotes” for your work cited, and you put the anthology that you found them in (should you find them in one) go in italics. I’ll take off more points for citation errors this time, so be vigilant.
• Pick a poem that you know you understand. The more homework you have to do to form an interpretation of a poem, the less original your argument will become. Reading a poem through a few times to get the full meaning is how you get a high grade, but you want to avoid poems that you have to consult experts for this time around. AVOID these guys unless you want your head to explode —> Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, Gertrude Stein.
• Any poet is fine as long as you can get a good interpretation from their work.
• Remember: Your opinion over something is just as valuable as any scholar’s, so don’t feel like you can’t argue for a poem.