What Is Poetry? An Introduction to Literary Analysis

Explore, understand and critique poetry

What are the different ways you can understand a poem? How do different elements of a poem work together? What difference does context make to literature?

Get answers to these questions and more with this course introducing poetry analysis and literary analysis.

You will examine a variety of texts written in different genres in order to develop an understanding of how writers deploy language to convey their ideas. You will develop fundamental skills in literary analysis, preparing your for further study of literature and creative writing.

This course is for anyone interested in poetry, English, literature, or literary analysis. You don’t need any previous experience.

• What is Poetry?
• Get Ready to Unpack Poetry
• What Do We Mean by "Poetry"?
• Hark! Is that a Poem?
• Carpe Diem!
• Rosebuds Are Red
• Lust For Life
• Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
• Metres and Feet
• Storytelling
• Telling Tall Tales
• Sound Bites
• Spitting Image
• Reading Between the Lines
• To Wrap Things Up