Poetry notes

Video Making poetry notes is a reading strategy where you collect information on a topic and summarise the key points. Creating and organising your own notes can help you make sense of a poem and can also help you to remember and recall the details of the text.

Why create poetry notes?

One of the most effective ways of getting new information to stick in your head is by making and organising your own notes. Both the act of selecting what you will write and the act of writing down help you to process the new information, help your brain make sense of it as you absorb it and also help you remember it in the future. It is useful to revisit your own notes on a topic when you are studying for an exam. Keep in mind the purpose of your poetry notes. You are making the notes to understand how a poet’s writing choices impact the poem, which in turn impact the reader. Cut the information down to only the most essential elements: key words, key quotes and key techniques. The layout of your notes should reflect your purpose. You could use the poetry organisers in your activity book (see pages 60, 64 and 66 for examples) to help you with the layout. Remember, a poet inputs their writing choices into a poem and the output is the impact on the reader.

The poem

• The poet • Summary

Effect on the reader • Theme/message/ lesson • Connections to other texts • Personal connection • Mood Poet’s writing choices • Structure • Speaker • Rhythm • Rhyme • Personification • Metaphor • Simile • Onomatopoeia • Alliteration • Assonance • Tone ACT IVITY ©The Educational Company of Ireland