A poetry explication is a relatively short analysis which describes the possible meanings and relationships of the words, images, and other small units that make up a poem. Writing an explication is an effective way for a reader to connect a poems plot and conflicts with its structural features. This handout reviews some of the important techniques of approaching and writing a poetry explication, and includes parts of two sample explications.
PREPARING TO WRITE THE EXPLICATION
1. Read the poem silently, then read it aloud (if not in a testing situation). Repeat as necessary.
2. Consider the poem as a dramatic situation in which a speaker addresses an audience or another character. In this way, begin your analysis by identifying and describing the speaking voice or voices, the conflicts or ideas, and the language used in the poem.
The large issues:
Determine the basic design of the poem by considering the who, what, when, where, andwhy of the dramatic situation.
What is being dramatized?
What conflicts or themes does the poem present, address, or question?
Who is the speaker? Define and describe the speaker and his/her voice. What does the speaker say? Who is the audience? Are other characters involved?
What happens in the poem? Consider the plot or basic design of the action. How are the dramatized conflicts or themes introduced, sustained, resolved, etc.?
When does the action occur? What is the date and/or time of day?
Where is the speaker? Describe the physical location of the dramatic moment.
Why does the speaker feel compelled to speak at this moment? What is his/her motivation?
The Details:
To analyze the design of the poem, we must focus on the poems parts, namely how the poem dramatizes conflicts or ideas in language. By concentrating on the parts, we develop our understanding of the poems structure, and we gather support and evidence for our interpretations. Some of the details we should consider include the following:
Rhetoric: How does the speaker make particular statements? Does her/his use of language seem odd in any way? Why? Consider her/his assertions and what they reveal about the speaker.
Syntax: Consider the subjects, verbs, and objects of each statement and what these elements reveal about the speaker. Do any statements seem convoluted or vague?
Vocabulary: Why does the poet choose one word over another in each line? Do any of the words have multiple or archaic meanings that add other meanings to the line? Use the Oxford English Dictionary as a resource.
How does the language and/or structure of the poem lend itself to the listener’s understanding of the poem?
How does the imagery of the poem contribute to or detract from the speaker’s success in telling a cohesive story?
What does the poem seem to be about and how does this meaning reveal itself over the course of the poem?
How (or how well/poorly) does the foreground of the poem (the story, or what is happening in the poem) reveal to the listener what might be happening in the background (the message) of the poem?