Poem Analysis

Poetry Analysis
For this part of the Web Quest, you and your partner(s) will choose a Transcendentalist poem and do your own analysis.

1. First, choose a poem from one of the following websites:
The Highlands
I Saw in Louisiana...
Beat! Beat! Drums!
Fairy Song
The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls
June
Poetry.org

2. Next, take the following steps:

Paraphrase the poem (write it in your own words). You can retain the format of the poem's lines, or you can paraphrase in regular sentences. If you use regular sentences, you may need only one or two per stanza. Make sure you name the poem and the poet.

Explain the overall meaning of the poem based what you and your partners interpret it to be. Tell what message(s) you believe the poet tries to convey, and explain why you think so. (2-3 sentences)

Apply, based on your understanding of the poem, the characteristics of Transcendentalism to the work. What qualities of the movement does it embody? What ideas of Transcendentalism does it express? (3-5 sentences)

Identify imagery and figures of speech such as metaphors, similes, and personification. Locate as many examples as you can.
* You may need to use dictionary.com for some words in the poems. Feel free to.