Composition: How is the poem structured? -rhyme, pattern etc. (see list below)
Rhytm, rhymes (see list below)
Imagery (see list below)
Time, setting?
What is the poem about?
The poet's attitude (message /perspective?)
Read the poem (remember that poetry is also meant for being read aloud and listened to. Therefore think of Rythm, rhymes and alliterations, vowel sounds etc. when you read.. Try to convey the feeling/soul of the poem
STRUCTURE/FORM
Stanza: group of (usually rhymed) lines forming a unit in some types of poems. Otherwise the same as verse.
RHYME and STYLE:
Rhymes are usually found at the end of a line (play-say, glitter-twitter)
Alliteration (bogstavrim): Words beginning with the same consonant. The vowels may be different. (her lips were red, her looks were free).
Consonance: Group of words containing the same consonant(s).(And all her silken flanks with garlands dressed).
Assonance: Group of words containing the same stressed vowels. (Ring in the nobler modes of life).
Vers libre or blank verse:(free verse): Verses without rhyme.
Non-stop lines (one line continues in the next)
IMAGERY
Personification: Transferring human qualities to objects or abstracts. (The day was young, civilization is dying etc).
Simili (sammenligning): a simple comparison ("like"-sammenligning) (She is like a rose) or a comparison of degree ("as...as"- sammenligning) (She is as prettv as a rose).
Metaphor: ("ordbillede" uden sammenligningsord). Use of a word/phrase to indicate something different from the literal meaning. (She has a heart of stone/'she is a rose)
Symbol: A metaphor with symbolic value. (cross = christianity, lion = courage, dove = peace, snake = evil)
Onomatopoeia (onomatopoietikon, dvs. lydefterlignende ord. (Danish examples: buldre, skvulpe, nynne, slubre).
Connotation: The feelings or ideas that are suggested by the word. (the connotation of " rose" is beauty, fragrance, colour)
Denotation: The thing that is actually named or described by a word.