Appreciation is a writing skill. It’s open-ended
question. Its answer varies from student to student.
Appreciation of a poem means writing a short,
organized explanation of a poem to show that you have understood and enjoyed
it. It highlights the important features of the poem and gives your opinion
about it.
Usually, an appreciation of a poem includes:
1) Title & Poet – Name of the poem and poet.
2) Theme / Central Idea – Main message/topic of the
poem
3) Language & Style – Words, imagery, and tone
used by the poet.
4) Poetic Devices – Examples like simile, metaphor,
alliteration, personification, rhyme scheme, etc.
5) Personal Response – How you felt after reading it,
what you liked the most. Opinion of the reader.
How to write poetic appreciation-
|
Expected points- • About the poem, poet, and title. • Theme/summary/gist of the poem. • Poetic style/language, poetic devices used in the poem. • Special features/novelties/focusing elements. • Message/values/morals in the poem. • Your opinion about the poem. |
Important-
In the exam, hint points will not be given. Students
need to write answers considering the expected points. They can write answer
using the points as headings and write answer in different paragraphs. If
students do not use points as headings, it is also acceptable.
Std. XI Poems-
|
Sr. No. |
Poem |
Poet |
|
1) |
Cherry Tree |
Ruskin Bond |
|
2) |
The Sower |
Victor Hugo |
|
3) |
There is Another Sky |
Emily Dickinson |
|
4) |
Upon Westminster Bridge |
William Wordsworth |
|
5) |
Nose Versus Eyes |
William Cowper |
|
6) |
The Planners |
Boey Kim Cheng |
Q. Write an appreciation of the poem --------------.
Appreciation of Std XI Poems-
|
About Poet- Cherry Tree is a beautiful poem written by Ruskin Bond. Ruskin Bond
has written hundreds of short stories, essays, novellas and more than thirty
books for children. About Poem- It is a narrative poem describing the everyday struggle of a plant to
grow & blossom. Title- The title ‘Cherry Tree’ deals with the cherry plant which the poet
planted which took eight years to grow. Tone- The poet’s tone is optimistic, full of wonder for the nature – he
focusses on the growing aspect of nature. The poem has a beginning, middle
and an end. It’s a simple poem about the poet’s innocent & pure joy. All
the incidents are in nice sequence. Special Features- The style & language of the poem is simple. Poetic devices such as
Alliteration, Antithesis, Climax, Personification are used by the poet. The
important aspect of this poem is its picturesque depiction & colourful
imagery. The whole process of a seed turning into a plant has been made
appealing to the readers with colourful & vivid description. The
references of seasons, the sky, animals, birds, insects focus on the wonders
of nature. Message- The poem gives a message of nature conservation- tree plantation &
its importance. The cherry tree is indeed a ‘Giving Tree’. It also speaks
about the tree’s determination to grow despite all odds. My opinion about the poem- I like the poem for its positive, optimistic tone. It encourages us to
overcome the obstacles, hardships we may face in life & become resilient
like the cherry tree. |
|
About the poem/poet/title: The poem ‘The Sower’ is a description of a hardworking
farmer, toiling in his fields, as the poet watches, even after sundown. Toru
Dutt, in her translation of Victor Hugo's poem, speaks in praise of his
dedication. Theme: The poem is woven around the theme of the farmer
surveying his land, taking upon himself the hard work to till it, and
plodding on into the night, even after the day is done. He seeks neither help
nor company but does what needs doing. Poetic devices, language, style: The poet has used figures of speech like
Alliteration, Antithesis, Hyperbole, Inversion, Personification, Repetition
etc. The word imagery ‘Shadows run across the lands’ presents clear picture
of natural phenomenon. The rhyme-scheme is ‘a b a b’ which provide a pleasing
rhythm. These devices enhance the beauty of the poem. Special features/novelties/focusing elements: There is emphasis on the hard work which the farmer
performs uncomplainingly day and night and the vivid description of the dusk,
the setting sun and the figure against the sunset. There is use of poetic
language adding to the novelty and beauty. This is not an ordinary language.
Inversion as the poetic device adds effect. Values, message: The poem gives a very important message. It brings
into focus the importance of the farmer and his unrecognized service to
society. One needs the farmer for one's survival. Your opinion about the poem: I like the poem very much. It presents a positive
and respectful picture of the farmer. I also appreciate the qualities of the
farmer that are depicted in this poem. I want to acquire these qualities and
positive approach to develop my life. I also realise the worth of the
farmer’s work. It creates respect with the work of the farmer. |
|
About Poem and Poet: ‘There is Another Sky’ is a poem written by Emily Dickinson. Emily
Dickinson was an American poetess. ‘There is Another Sky’ is the
encouragement of the poetess to her brother who is depressed and alone. She
inspires her brother and shows hope and a bright future ahead. Theme: The poem has the message to every depressed and alone person that a
bright and happy future will come in life. So, keep patience and be
optimistic in life. It is an inspirational poem with the message of ‘never
lose faith’. Poetic Device: The language used in the poem is simple, lucid, illustrative, and
effective. There is use of figures of speech like inversion, alliteration,
hyperbole, metaphor, and repetition. The poet has used her unique technique
of writing in slant rhymes and unconventional capitalization and
punctuations. The language is easy to comprehend as the imageries used are
clearly defined. Special Feature: It is a Petrarchan sonnet. The octave describes the cold, gloomy
atmosphere while the sestet shows an inspiring and encouraging tone. There is
variation in the rhyme scheme of each stanza. Message of the poem: Life is full of challenges. One can tackle the challenges with a
positive attitude. Do not lose hope. The future can give good chance to
develop life. Nothing is impossible in life. We can achieve the goals of our
life so we should not lose confidence in any situation. My opinion about the poem: The poem shows the love and care of a sister to her brother. The poem
has an optimistic end. I like the poem very much. |
4) Upon Westminster
Bridge.
|
About Poem and Poet: The poem ‘Upon Westminster Bridge’ is written by the poet William
Wordsworth. It depicts a vivid description of the views of the city. The poet
is on Westminster Bridge and sees the city glittering in the clean smokeless
air. He describes the silently flowing river and calm atmosphere of the city.
The poem conveys the poet’s feelings about the beauty of the city. Poetic Device: The language used in the poem is simple and lucid. The figures of
speech like simile, hyperbole, inversion, and personification increase the
beauty of the language. The language brings alive the natural aspects like
sun, river, and the city. Readers can see the places in front of their eyes. Special Feature: The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet with a ‘complaint’ in the octave and a
‘resolution’ in the sestet. The octave (Eight lines) has the rhyme scheme ‘a
b b a a b b a’ while the sestet (Six lines) has ‘c d c d c d’ pattern.
Imagery shows beautiful picture of the city. This is the special feature of
this poem. Message of the poem: The poet successfully presents the beautiful atmosphere of the city.
In the early morning the city becomes a landscape with amazing places. It is
the positive way of looking at something that is not often taken for granted. My opinion about the poem: I like the poem very much as it creates beautiful word picture of the
city. |
5) Nose verses Eyes.
|
About Poem and Poet: ‘Nose verses Eyes’ is a satirical poem written by William Cowper.
William Copper was one of the most popular 18th century English poets and his
poems deal with Nature and everyday life. The title ‘Nose verses Eyes’
contains the sensory organs, and they symbolize human behaviour. Theme: The court room drama is a satire on the judiciary system. It also
mocks at the stone-blind justice in a humorous manner emphasizing upon the
lack of empathy and common sense. The sentences ‘then shifting his side, as a
lawyer knows how’ and ‘what were his arguments few people know’ show the lack
of seriousness in the process of judicial system. Poetic Device: The poem is in stanza of four lines each. The first line rhymes with
the third while the second line rhymes with the fourth. The rhyme scheme of
the stanza is: a b a b My opinion about the poem: ‘Nose verses Eyes’ is a funny poem. It makes me laugh. It is a satire
on the courtroom drama. I like it very much. I enjoyed it very much. I also
feel pity for those who sometimes don’t get justice due to lack of common
sense and understanding. |
6) The
Planners
|
Poem / Poet: The poem ‘The Planners’ is written by the poet Boey
Kim Cheng. In the poem he depicts the harsh reality of modernization at the
cost of the country’s history, monuments, and tradition. Title: The title ‘The Planners’ itself shows their planning
to destroy something to create new things. There is ruthless control of the
influential persons who in the name of development destroys the age-old
heritage. Poetic Device: The major figures of speech used here include-
Personification, Alliteration, Irony, Antithesis, paradox and Inversion. It
is written in free verse. In the poem the poet uses Enjambment. Enjambment is
the continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break. Such lines used
in the poem are also called run on lines. Enjambment is also one of the
figures of speech. Special Feature: The special feature of this poem is to show the
destruction of past and heritage in the name of development. The poet uses
simple words and presents the reality of modernization. He laments due the
destruction of past heritage. He wishes to aware readers to control such
destruction. Message of the poem: The message of this poem is to understand the
reality of modernization and protect our heritage. The emotional bond to
nature and heritage makes the poet anxious. He wants to aware the readers to
know the huge loss of nature and heritage in the name of modern construction. My opinion about the poem: I like the idea of the writer protecting our nature
and heritage. This idea is universal. So, I like the poem very much. |
