Help with Unseen Poetry

A poem is NOT lots of bits.

1. Each poem should be read a few (or even several) times (preferably aloud). Even during a test :) !
2. Have a general idea, after reading, about what the poem is about. Talk aloud, talk to yourself, reason it out, try to paraphrase what the poem is trying to say! It helps! :)
3. Your general idea(s) should be based on what you see in the poem so try to locate and identify parts of the poem that confirm your guesses.
4. Mark out bits that puzzle you--you can't quite figure out. Use the parts that you DO understand, to inform the parts that you don't understand. 

Decoding a poem is a lot like doing a jigsaw puzzle. Just like we look for the edges and corners to get started on a puzzle, we look for parts that we do understand in a poem, before we look at parts that we don't understand. We try to "fit" in the bits that we don't understand within a context--our guesses about the subject, the purpose/message, the emotional undercurrents. Words are always intentionally selected for a purpose--to evoke feelings and thoughts in the reader. Think about how the different elements in the poem (SLIMS) enact the poem's meaning and impact, how they serve to convey the poet's message.