How to Write About Poetry

Review the rules for paraphrasing

• 1. Paraphrase the poem in prose. Make sure it contains all the ideas in the poem in such a way as to make them clear to a puzzled reader and to make the central idea, or theme, of the poem more accessible.
• 2. Some aspects of language will change.
  • a. Figurative language will give way to literal language.
  • b. Similes will replace metaphors.
  • c. Normal word order supplants inverted syntax.
• 3. Others will remain unchanged.
  • a. The person of pronouns will remain constant.
  • b. Verb tenses will remain unchanged.
• 4. After paraphrasing, determine how far short of the poem it falls, and why.

What not to do

Fire and Ice

Some say that the world will end in fire,
but some others say it will end in ice.
From what I have experienced regarding desire
I support those who favor the first theory.
But if it had to end twice,
I think I know enough about hate
To say that ice
Is also destructive
And would do the job.

Write your paraphrase on the back of this paper.