Recap
A paragraph about a poem has a claim that needs defence, evidence (quoted words and lines) and a link that explains how the evidence supports the claim. Strong poetry analysis uses device-to-effect chains: detail or device, quotation, function, effect. Quote exactly and briefly, show line breaks with a slash, build quotations into your sentences, and use the present tense.
Key relationships
| Part | What it does | Test |
|---|---|---|
| Claim | States what the poem does or shows | Could a reader ask “how do you know?” |
| Evidence | Quoted words or lines | Exact, short and relevant? |
| Function | What the device does to meaning | Is the device linked to a change in meaning? |
| Effect | What it shows or makes the reader feel | Does it end in a point about the poem? |
| Link | Ties the evidence to the claim | Does it say how the evidence supports the claim? |
What you may assume
- The reader of your paragraph can read the poem, so you do not need to retell it.
- You may quote a part of a line, using slashes at line breaks.
- Two or three chains that point the same way are usually enough for a paragraph.
Mistakes to avoid
- Writing a topic or a summary instead of a claim.
- Naming a device with no function or effect.
- Quoting from memory or changing words.
- Forgetting the slash at line breaks.
- Writing “the poet” for “the speaker”.
Key terms
- Claim about a poem: a statement of what the poem does or shows that needs defence.
- Device-to-effect chain: device, quotation, function, effect.
- Slash: the mark (/) that shows a line break in a quotation.
- Link: a sentence that ties the evidence back to the claim.
Sentence frames
- “In ‘…’, [device] shows ….”
- “The phrase ‘… / …’ [verb] …, which makes the reader ….”
- “This supports the claim that ….”
Mini-example
Device: simile. Quotation: “like a bell no one has struck”. Function: sound without a cause. Effect: loss is heard after the objects are gone.
How questions ask about this
- “Which is the best claim for a paragraph about this poem?”: choose a defensible claim, not a fact or a topic.
- “Which quotation best supports …?”: choose the lines that bear most directly on the claim.
- “Which revision improves the paragraph?”: look for a claim, accurate evidence and a link.
- Constructed response: write a claim, two or three embedded quotations with slashes, and device-to-effect reasoning.
Quick self-check
- Write the four links of a device-to-effect chain in order.
- How do you show a line break when quoting two lines?
- Why is “There is a simile at the end” not analysis?
Answers.
- Detail or device; quotation; function; effect.
- With a forward slash, with a space on each side.
- It names a device and says nothing about what the simile does or shows.
Full explanations are in the study guide. Try the practice questions next.