12. Poetry - Structure




Poetry is a type of writing that creates meaning in a small amount of words and lines using:

  • Rhythm, and
  • Figurative language.

Often, they’re organised in ‘paragraphs’ called stanzas and lines are often referenced by numbers.

What are the parts of a poem?

By understanding parts of a poem better we can watch out for reading comprehension questions that relate to them.

  1. Subject matter/theme – What's the poem about? What ideas are in it? What things does the poet use to put forward their idea? (Images, special words, special symbols?)
  2. Technique – How does the poet put forward their idea?

Here are some ways:

  • Structure – number of stanzas
  • Tone – the voice/sound e.g. funny, angry, sarcastic…
  • Mood – feeling and atmosphere created e.g. serene, scary, troubled…
  • Imagery – metaphors, images, symbols, personification.
  • Rhythm – the beat, repetition of words or vowels.
  • Rhyme – sounds of the words and what sounds repeat. For example, Nina went to school and there she played in the pool.
  • Juxtaposition – when something is placed close together for a contrasting effect.

Given this, the main types of questions in reading comprehension that occur in poetry is:

  • Detail questions that relate to structure.
  • Detail questions about figurative language.
  • Main idea questions about the tone and theme.
  • There may also be detail questions about 'facts' but less so.

Let's talk about structure for the following 2 poems:

The Eagle

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ring'd with the azure world, he stands.
The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.

by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Sea-Fever

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

by John Masefield

Let's look at these types of questions in the examples below. We'll also put into practice the approach to answering questions too learnt in previous checkpoints.

Example Question/s

Watch video for explanation of the following question/s:

Mrs Swipe Speaks Out

So I said to her I said
I'm not one to complain
I said as you know only too well
I said but if you think I'm going to
put up with this nonsense indefinitely
you've got another thing coming oh yes I said
please don't think you can come the bounce
on me I said because I've had just about
enough thank you very much I said
and the fact of the matter is I said
you can walk the whole length and breadth
of Varicose Street I said and you won't find
a more long-suffering and charitable
person than yours truly I said but
like the Good Book says every worm
must have its day and mine is
just around the corner I said so you needn't
stand there looking four-eyed and fish-faced
as if Meadow-Lea wouldn't melt in your mouth
since I have not the slightest intention of
prolonging this conversation any further live
and let live I said even though it seems
to me there's some as would be hard-pressed
to justify their miserable
existence naming no names of course
and I dropped the paper parcel of prawn-shells
over her side of the fence I believe
these are yours madam I said and although
it was a horrible cold day the look on its face
as I walked away kept me warm as toast
for the rest of the morning!

Bruce Dawe

The repetition of the expression "I said" suggest that the character was

A harsh and defensive.
B careless and intuitive.
C sophisticated and glamorous.
D hesitant and thoughtless.

In lines 12-14 the character uses a

A displeased tone.
B pleasant tone.
C condescending tone.
D sarcastic tone.

The word "worm" as used in line 15 refers to

A an insect.
B an animal.
C a person.
D an object.

The character uses the expression "live and let live" (lines 21-22) because he suggests that

A other people are responsible for making our lives pleasant.
B a person should let others live the way they want to live.
D we can have influence in other people lives.
C people should not judge others.

Key Rules to remember:

  • The structure of poetry is important for rhyme and content.
  • Look for repetition of content and also of certain sentences.
  • ‘Paragraphs’ are called stanzas.

Practice time!

Now, it's your turn to practice.

Click on the button below and start your practice questions. We recommend doing untimed mode first, and then, when you're ready, do timed mode.

Every question has two solutions videos after you complete the question. The first is a quick 60 second video that shows you how our expert answers the question quickly. The second video is a more in-depth 5-steps or less explainer video that shows you the steps to take to answer the question. It's really important that you review the second video because that's where you'll learn additional tips and tricks.

Once you're done with the practice questions, move on to the next checkpoint.

Now, let’s get started on your practice questions.


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