Poetry is a compact language that expresses complex feelings. To understand the multiple meanings of a poem, readers must examine its words and phrases for rhythm, sound, imagery, obvious meaning, and implied meaning. Readers must then organize their responses to the verse into a logical point-by-point explanation. A good beginning involves asking questions that apply to the bulk of the poem. The context of the poem Clear answers to the following questions can help establish the context of a poem and form the basis for understanding: -Who wrote the poem? Does the poet's life suggest any special views, such as a political affiliation, religious sect, professional interest, musical talent, family or personal problems, travel, or handicap? For example, HD's feminism, Amiri Baraka's radicalism, TS Eliot's conversion to Anglicanism, William Carlos Williams' medical career, AR Ammons' chemistry training, Amy Lowell's aristocratic background, the John Berryman's alcoholism or Hart Crane's homosexuality? When was the poem written and in which country? Knowing something about the poet's life, times, and culture helps readers understand what is in a poem and why. - Does the poem appear in the original language? Otherwise, readers should consider that translation can alter the language and meaning of a poem. -Is the poem part of a special collection or series? Examples of such series and collections include Edna St. Vincent Millay's sonnets, Carl Sandburg's Chicago Poems, or Rita Dove's triad, "Adolescent-I, II, and III." - Does the poem belong to a particular period or literary movement? For example, does the poem refer to Imagism, confessional verse, the Beat movement, the Harlem Renaissance, the civil rights era, the American Indian Renaissance, or feminism? The Style What category does the poetry fall into - for example, Carl Sandburg's imagism in "Fog" or Gwendolyn Brooks' epic "The Anniad"? Readers should apply the definitions of the many categories to determine which describes the length and style of the poem: is it an epic poem, a long poem about a great figure, or a national hero? Is it a text, a short musical verse? Is it a narrative, a poem that tells a story?-Is it a haiku, an intense and lyrical verse of three lines of seventeen syllables?-Is it confessional? For example, examine personal memories and experiences?