Poetry: Word Order and Inference

Methods in this video

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

1. 1

   Read by sentence, not by line

   ▶ 0:38

   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

   Read feelings from actions and words

   ▶ 1:58

   When to use it: The question asks how a character feels, what they think or why they act, and the text doesn't say it directly.

   • When feelings aren't stated, look at what the character does and says.
   • Ask who they are talking to, and why.
   • Look at this moment, not at how the character was first described.
   • Feelings can change. Look at what they do last.
3. 3

   Find the evidence first

   ▶ 3:11

   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.
4. 4

   Say what really happens

   ▶ 4:52

   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.
5. 5

   Find what is compared to what

   ▶ 6:04

   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.
6. 6

   Put the clues together

   ▶ 7:33

   When to use it: The question asks what a whole paragraph tells us, or about the whole text: the evidence isn't in one sentence.

   • List what each sentence says.
   • Ask what they add up to.
   • The answer is often bigger than any one sentence.