Tie up all the things you've learned this semester:
When you write your essay, I want you to think about the chapter elements that apply to your poem and to your essay approach. Use the checklist to help you!
Can you spot stories under the water of the obvious island in the poem?
Do you have a poem where characters develop?
Is the beginning is a feature to notice?
Is the poem painting a picture?
Obviously, not all those points apply to every poem choice. Pick a poem you want to tackle, then dig for what of those four points you think you can address. Rearrange them in your essay so you have an introduction that invites readers to be interested. Make some points for readers to consider, then wrap up the essay with something we readers should remember about your poem choice--and maybe you can find a twist of thinking for readers: a bit of the author's own words on the poem? a bit of world history that applies? something happening today that could have easily been the same sort of subject?
One warning, poetry tempts writers into including moral lessons. Be careful not to tell us what we must learn from the poem you write about. Describe it fully, analyze what is there, and avoid what isn't. If you do that well, a reader can see the lesson to be learned without you needing to tell us what to think.