Words in a poem are like sentences in a novel. Poems tend to vary in length but each word is usually chosen by the author for a reason.

For those who read poetry, a good strategy is to pay attention to the diction, or the choice of words within a poem. 

One way to do this is to read through a poem twice and notice words that surprise you the second time you read it.

Let’s try it.

Read or listen to the poem, “Digging” by Seamus Heaney.

What words or phrases stuck out to you or surprised you after reading? 

I was surprised by the phrase “gravelly ground.” It surprised me that the poet did not just say “sinks into the ground.” The word “gravelly” makes the line very specific.  

I looked up the definition of “gravelly” in a dictionary and found it means there was gravel scattered throughout the ground. This caused me to think about how difficult it must have been to dig into the soil and plant the potatoes. 

Finding definitions for unknown words is another popular strategy to better understand the words in a poem.

I researched the word “squelch” from the lines, “The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap/Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge.” I could imagine the sound of the shovel sinking into the ground as the speaker’s father worked in the field. 

Lastly, paying attention to repeated words throughout the poem may help the reader understand the main themes within the poem. Oftentimes, the poet will repeat words or phrases that are important to the poem’s meaning.

The repetition of the word “digging” and the phrase “the squat pen rests” within the poem caught my attention. 

These phrases are placed together in the final lines, “Between my finger and my thumb/The squat pen rests./I’ll dig with it.” 

Through these lines, the speaker decides to follow a new path and not farm like his father and grandfather. 

Sometimes readers have to “dig” into the definitions and word choices the poet makes to better understand the poem.

Did any other words or phrases confuse or capture your attention? Write them in the comments! 

Memorial Day usually means the kick-off to summer with picnics and time with family and friends. 

I sometimes become so excited by that summer has arrived that I forget about the origins of Memorial Day and its purpose of helping us remember history and those in our country who lost their lives in service to it. 

Poetry can help us remember the past and give us insights into the lived experience of those who fought in wars. John McCrae’s well-known “Flanders Field” is one such poem.

One strategy when reading poetry from the past is to think about or research the historical time when the poem was written. This can help you understand the context, setting, or background of the poet. 

The lines, “Short days ago/We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,/Loved and were loved, and now we lie/In Flanders fields,” spoke to me as I read the poem.

My mood shifts whenever I read this poem and makes me feel sad and contemplative. Yet, I am reminded that loss connects people across different times, countries, or cultures. Poetry lets the reader to understand the life or memories of the poet.

John McCrae was a Canadian physician and poet who lived in Guelph, Ontario. A fun fact is that our Big Read director Dr. Van Duinen grew up in Guelph and lived a few streets away from the historic John McCrae’s house. Dr. McCrae wrote Flanders Field during World War I after witnessing the death of his friend and fellow soldier the day before. His poem and its mention of poppies led to the Canadian tradition of wearing remembrance poppies in the weeks leading up to Canada’s Remembrance Day on Nov 11. Click here to read more about this poem and the historical context!

Did you know that the poem “Flanders Field” inspired another poet named Moina Michael to write “We Shall Keep the Faith?”

Michael refers to the field of poppies in John McCrae’s poem. She writes, “We cherish, too, the poppy red/That grows on fields where valor led.”

What words or phrases jump out at you from this poem? How does this poem make you feel?

What poems or poets have you researched to learn more about the time period or experience?

Sometimes when we study poetry in school, it can be easy to focus on analyzing the literary aspects of a poem. We can forget to simply delight in how a poem makes us feel.

In some of my English classes over the years, I have talked so much about rhyme schemes, metaphors, and meanings that I forget to think about the ways particular words and phrases, lines and stanzas speak to me or help me pause and notice.

One strategy I’ve found helpful when I read poetry is to focus on my mood while I’m reading a poem.  Some poems make me feel joyful and whimsical. Others make me feel sad, tired, or confused.

“I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth is a poem that made me feel nostalgic and at peace.

I spent a lot of time as a kid wandering around my home in the Appalachian Mountains and running past fields of wildflowers and this poem reminds me of this.

My favorite lines are, “I gazed—and gazed—but little thought/What wealth the show to me had brought.” 

These lines summarize exactly what I felt as I read the poem. I became lost in the beautiful words and just felt like I was back in the words as I was reading. 

I also love the final lines of the poem, “And then my heart with pleasure fills,/And dances with the daffodils.”

After being outside in nature, I can take the photos or memories of trees or flowers with me in my mind. This poem reminded me that I can reflect back on the beauty of nature, even if I’m not physically there.

Now, you try! I encourage you to read or listen to “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth.

How did it make you feel? Why? Which lines or phrases stood out? Share in the comments below!