What Is a Poetry Essay?
How should one write a poetry essay? Poetry can seem like a foreign language to many: therefore writing an essay on poetry can sometimes prove to be difficult and some students turn to literature help when writing an essay. Many people who are preparing to write a poetry essay wonder what angle they should approach their essay on poetry from: should they write about their own poem interpretation and expand on what the poem means to them, or if the poetry essay is on a body of work, should they attempt to give a thorough illustration of the main poetic devices that the work is demonstrative of? Or should the essay basically be poetry analysis, analyzing various techniques used in the poem and things such as the figures of speech used? Furthermore, should the poetry essay be a combination of these ideas and relay several approaches of analysis and interpretation? Poetry is an art form: it’s a language known for depicting emotions carefully, and poems can almost never be taken at face value and usually require poetry analysis. Generally when writing an essay on poetry, what may seem to be the outward meaning may not be accurate at all, and often explaining a literal interpretation in a poetry analysis essay will not suffice. In order to write a great essay on poetry, the poem’s ‘deeper’ or even ‘hidden’ meanings are the conclusions sought after in a poetry essay. Therefore, the core of any essay on poetry should also include your own interpretation and analysis of the poem or body of work you’re writing an essay on. The more carefully a poem is interpreted, and the more this interpretation is backed up with support, the better your essay will be.
10 Poetry Essay Topics
Here are ten unique poetry topics that you could write an essay on. The subject matter usually gives students an abundance of material and ideas to work with, so they make for good essay topics.
1.) The Use Of Imagery In Poetry
2.) The Use Of ‘Poor’ Grammar In The Poetry Of e.e. cummings
3.) The Work Of Sylvia Plath: Before Motherhood and After
4.) Poetry Written During Times Of War
5.) Interpreting The Poems Of Robert Frost
6.) Contemporary Poetry By Wislawa Szyborska
7.) The Poetry Of Langston Hughes
8.) Poetry About Nature
9.) The Poetry Of African Americans Throughout Time
10.) The Poetry of Edgar Allen Poe
What Poetic Devices Should You Pay Attention To In An Essay On Poetry? Pay attention and remain on alert for the use of any irony within the poem. Any use of an ironic voice helps create meaning and sometimes helps to create several layers.
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