How to Explicate a Poem
Make an explication chart., Choose a poem., Read the poem., Fill the right-hand column with figurative meanings., Try to understand the poem.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make an explication chart.
This tool is a two-columned T-chart with the left side labeled "Literally" and the right side labeled "Figuratively." In the "Literally" column, you will list the words, phrases, and descriptions that catch your eye from a given poem.
In the "Figuratively" column, you will pair the literal meanings with connotations and impressions: the subtle allusions that exist behind the words. -
Step 2: Choose a poem.
If you already have a poem in mind, feel free to use it.
If you aren't sure, do your research.
Flip open a book of poetry and find something suitable; ask for a recommendation from a friend or teacher; or visit http://www.poetryfoundation.org/browse/ to look for poems online.
This article will explicate Walt Whitman's work "A Noiseless Patient Spider" for the sake of example.Pick something short for your first explication.
This is not to say that you can't work through a longer poem – but it will be much quicker if you choose a piece that spans just a few stanzas.
Look for a poem that captures your imagination.
The process of explication may be more rewarding if you feel strongly about the poem. , Read it aloud, three times through, for full effect.Put emotion into the lines, and try to tap into the natural cadence of the words.
In the left-hand column of your explication chart, write down words or phrases that catch your eye.If you're reading Whitman's "A Noiseless Patient Spider," you might notice the words: "noiseless," "patient," "spider," "promontory," "isolated," "vacant vast surrounding," "filament," "tirelessly," "soul," "surrounded," "detached," "measureless oceans of space," "musing, venturing, throwing," "seeking the spheres to connect," "bridge you need," "gossamer thread," "fling catch somewhere." Your grand total of words and phrases may be more or less than the words from the example.
There is no "right" or "wrong" answer! It's all about what the poem means to you. , Read over the list of words and phrases that you picked out, and look for the deeper meaning behind each of these things.
Consider your own connotations and impressions, and try to imagine what the poet may have intended.
Think about the emotions or sensations that a word triggers.
Search for symbolism, metaphor, and allusion.
In "A Noiseless Patient Spider," in order of when they occur in the poem, you might get: "unheard," "waiting," "unwanted," "dangerous place," "bitter," "alone," "open space," "string or fiber," "ongoing," "self," "with someone," "unable to connect," "surrounded yet not alone," "trying," "trying to connect," "in need of a way," "breakable threads," "connect with something."
Use your right-hand column as a figurative compass – as a guide to help you understand what the speaker of the poem is trying to say.
Use your deductive reasoning, and proceed with empathy.
Put yourself in the shoes of the poet, and try to decide what the speaker is trying to say.
Search for a clear and identifiable theme: love, for example, or loss, fear, remorse.
In the case of "The Noiseless Patient Spider," for instance, you might get the sense that Walt Whitman identifies with the spider.
He portrays his soul as "surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space," flinging "gossamer thread" in the hopes that it will catch somewhere.
Perhaps the "gossamer thread" is Whitman's poetry, or at least his words; perhaps he saw his words as his way of exploring the world and connecting with people. -
Step 3: Read the poem.
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Step 4: Fill the right-hand column with figurative meanings.
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Step 5: Try to understand the poem.
Detailed Guide
This tool is a two-columned T-chart with the left side labeled "Literally" and the right side labeled "Figuratively." In the "Literally" column, you will list the words, phrases, and descriptions that catch your eye from a given poem.
In the "Figuratively" column, you will pair the literal meanings with connotations and impressions: the subtle allusions that exist behind the words.
If you already have a poem in mind, feel free to use it.
If you aren't sure, do your research.
Flip open a book of poetry and find something suitable; ask for a recommendation from a friend or teacher; or visit http://www.poetryfoundation.org/browse/ to look for poems online.
This article will explicate Walt Whitman's work "A Noiseless Patient Spider" for the sake of example.Pick something short for your first explication.
This is not to say that you can't work through a longer poem – but it will be much quicker if you choose a piece that spans just a few stanzas.
Look for a poem that captures your imagination.
The process of explication may be more rewarding if you feel strongly about the poem. , Read it aloud, three times through, for full effect.Put emotion into the lines, and try to tap into the natural cadence of the words.
In the left-hand column of your explication chart, write down words or phrases that catch your eye.If you're reading Whitman's "A Noiseless Patient Spider," you might notice the words: "noiseless," "patient," "spider," "promontory," "isolated," "vacant vast surrounding," "filament," "tirelessly," "soul," "surrounded," "detached," "measureless oceans of space," "musing, venturing, throwing," "seeking the spheres to connect," "bridge you need," "gossamer thread," "fling catch somewhere." Your grand total of words and phrases may be more or less than the words from the example.
There is no "right" or "wrong" answer! It's all about what the poem means to you. , Read over the list of words and phrases that you picked out, and look for the deeper meaning behind each of these things.
Consider your own connotations and impressions, and try to imagine what the poet may have intended.
Think about the emotions or sensations that a word triggers.
Search for symbolism, metaphor, and allusion.
In "A Noiseless Patient Spider," in order of when they occur in the poem, you might get: "unheard," "waiting," "unwanted," "dangerous place," "bitter," "alone," "open space," "string or fiber," "ongoing," "self," "with someone," "unable to connect," "surrounded yet not alone," "trying," "trying to connect," "in need of a way," "breakable threads," "connect with something."
Use your right-hand column as a figurative compass – as a guide to help you understand what the speaker of the poem is trying to say.
Use your deductive reasoning, and proceed with empathy.
Put yourself in the shoes of the poet, and try to decide what the speaker is trying to say.
Search for a clear and identifiable theme: love, for example, or loss, fear, remorse.
In the case of "The Noiseless Patient Spider," for instance, you might get the sense that Walt Whitman identifies with the spider.
He portrays his soul as "surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space," flinging "gossamer thread" in the hopes that it will catch somewhere.
Perhaps the "gossamer thread" is Whitman's poetry, or at least his words; perhaps he saw his words as his way of exploring the world and connecting with people.
About the Author
Madison Mendoza
Enthusiastic about teaching DIY projects techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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