Study Guide - Simplified

What is the Structure?  

1. Check the Lines

2. Collect Lines into Strophes

3. Collect Strophes into Stanzas

Key Step - Find and color repeated words and ideas

What is the Message?

1. Check Stanzas for circular development of ideas - emphasizes revisiting ideas

2. Check Stanzas for linear development of ideas - emphasizes how one idea leads to the next

3. Check Stanzas for a meaningful center strophe - emphasizes the middle

Putting it all together

1. Synthesize the main idea of each strophe

2. Synthesize how the strophes collectively form the message of each stanza

3. Synthesize how the stanzas collectively form the message of the whole poem