Poetry: Reading by Sentence

Methods in this video

Tap a time to jump to where the video teaches that method.

1. 1

   Read by sentence, not by line

   ▶ 0:24

   When to use it: The poem is cut into short lines and you lose track of the sentence, the words are in an unusual order, or the question gives a line or verse number and asks what a word there points to.

   • A new line isn't a full stop. Follow the punctuation to the full stop or question mark.
   • If the words are back to front, find who is doing what and turn it around. If you see it, go back up the sentence to find what it means.
   • If the question gives a line or verse, read that whole sentence, plus one line before and after.
2. 2

   Find what is compared to what

   ▶ 1:21

   When to use it: The poem uses like, as or becomes, or writes about a thing as if it were a person, and the question asks what it is compared with or what is given human qualities.

   • What is being compared? Look back for the subject.
   • What is it compared with? Look after like or as.
   • When a thing has a human feeling, that's a comparison too: it's being compared to a person.
3. 3

   Say what really happens

   ▶ 2:43

   When to use it: The poem says something that can't literally happen, or uses a comparison or an image, and the question asks what it means, why the poet wrote it, or what it signifies.

   • First say what really happens, and what the thing is really like.
   • If it asks how they are alike, stop at the likeness.
   • If it asks why the poet mentions it, link it to what is going on; if it asks what it signifies, go on to a feeling, and still back it with the poem.
4. 4

   Find the evidence first

   ▶ 5:00

   When to use it: The first step for every story question: find the one or two sentences the question is about, then look at the options.

   • Circle the key words; every one must match. Pick the most specific one as your locator word.
   • Find the echo in the text: the question often uses other words, so look for the idea.
   • The right answer uses other words too. If an option copies the text, take a second look.
5. 5

   What is the form doing

   ▶ 6:14

   When to use it: The question asks what repetition, rhyme, the shape of the poem or the length of its lines is doing.

   • First say which words repeat or rhyme.
   • Look at where they come: the start, the end, or where something suddenly changes.
   • Then ask: what is it copying, and how does it make the poem feel?