The Poetry Anthology: Analysis and Comparison
How to analyse a poem for form, structure, imagery, sound, tone and theme, and how to compare two poems across theme, method and effect in a clear written answer.
Use it, the way the marks are given
Free interactive practice at using the material, which is what the marks are for.
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Reading a poem closely
A poem says a great deal in a small space, so every choice a poet makes carries weight. To study the anthology well you learn to read closely, noticing the form and structure, the imagery and sound, the tone and the theme. Then, because the exam asks you to compare, you learn to hold two poems side by side and see what they share and where they differ. The aim is never to retell the poem but to explain how it works and what effect it has on the reader. This module covers close analysis and, above all, how to compare poems clearly.
Poetry words
Learn these terms before analysing any poem. They name the things you look for and write about.
Match each poetic method to its effect
- simile
- metaphor
- alliteration
- enjambment
- rhyme
- compares one thing to another using like or as
- says one thing is another to suggest a likeness
- repeats a sound to draw attention or set a mood
- runs a line on without a pause to keep the sense flowing
- echoes sounds at line ends to give shape or music
Shared ideas against different methods
A comparison has two sides, and strong answers use both. Two poems can share a great deal and still handle it very differently, and it is the difference that often earns the most.
What does comparing poems mean?
When an exam asks you to compare two poems, what does it want you to do?
- Find what the poems share and how they differ
- Retell the story of each poem in turn
- Write about only the poem you prefer
- Count how many lines each poem has
Writing a poetry comparison
A clear comparison follows a chain. Make a point about a theme or feeling both poems explore. Give evidence from the first poem and name the method the poet uses. Explain the effect that method has on the reader. Then link to the second poem with a comparison connective, words like similarly, likewise, whereas or in contrast, and show whether it is alike or different. Point, evidence, method, effect, then compare: keep to that order and every paragraph does real comparison rather than dealing with the poems one after the other.
Pick the poetic methods
Select everything that counts as a poetic method you could analyse.
- Imagery such as a metaphor
- The rhythm and rhyme of the lines
- The way the stanzas are structured
- The price of the poetry book
- The name of the shop that sold it
Order a comparison paragraph
Put the parts of a strong comparison paragraph in the best order.
- Make a point about a theme both poems explore
- Give evidence from the first poem and name its method
- Explain the effect on the reader
- Link to the second poem with a comparison connective
- Show how the second poem is similar or different
Complete the poetry facts
The big idea a poem explores is its _____. A comparison of one thing to another using like or as is a _____. The feeling or attitude of a poem is its _____. To compare poems you find what they share and how they _____.
Two poems, one theme
Imagine two poems that both take the sea as their theme. The first is calm: gentle imagery and a slow, even rhythm give it a peaceful tone, so the reader feels soothed. The second is stormy: harsh sounds, short broken lines and violent images give it an angry tone, so the reader feels the danger. The theme is shared, but the tone and the methods are opposite, and that contrast is exactly what a comparison should draw out. A strong answer would make the shared theme the point, then show how each poet uses different methods to create a different effect. Same subject, different treatment: that is the heart of comparison.
Tap the comparison connectives
Tap the TWO words or phrases that link two poems in a comparison.
- similarly
- whereas
- the poet
- a stanza
The poetry technique run
Answer each one correctly to keep your lives. Name the method or idea being described.
Make each analysis choice
Read each situation and choose the best answer.
- Two poems both explore grief but one feels bitter and one feels hopeful. What should a comparison highlight?
- A student writes about one poem fully, then the other, never linking them. What is missing?
- A student quotes a line and stops. What should come next for the marks?
Build a comparison point
Choose the word for each gap to complete one clear comparison sentence.
Explain how to compare poems
A friend thinks comparing two poems just means writing about one and then the other. Using what you have learned, explain how to analyse and compare poems well.
- Explain what to look for when you analyse a poem
- Explain what a comparison should bring out
- Explain how to structure a comparison paragraph
- Explain how comparison connectives help
- Explain why explaining the effect matters more than retelling