Using your “Poetry Survival Guide,” select the salient poetic devices that enhance your understanding of the poem. Instead of just listing the poetic devices that you see, explain how these devices contribute to the poem’s meaning.

Describe the imagery. How do these images appeal to the senses? Do they operate on a figurative level?
-What figures of speech can you identify, and how do they add levels of meaning? Watch out for metaphor / simile / personification / apostrophe / metonymy / symbol / allegory, and identify these devices correctly.
-Are there any allusions to other works of art and literature in the poem? How can these allusions/references deepen your understanding of the poem?
-What is the tone of the poem? What words are used that establish this tone?
-Are there any instances of incongruity, such as irony or paradox?
-Are there any instances of understatement or hyperbole? What are the effects of using both, or either?