Poetry for Section 1
Section one of the GAMSAT frequently includes several questions which require you to analyse poetry. For those who aren’t familiar with poetry analysis this can be daunting as it requires you to quickly grasp the meaning of a poem under time pressure. This blog will give you some simple tips and tricks to get through any poetry questions the GAMSAT throws at you.
In terms of how to approach poetry questions there are two options. Some candidates find it helps to quickly read the questions first and then read the poem second. This can help you focus on any key lines or ideas to look out for. However, other candidates may prefer to do a quick skim read of the poem first to get the gist of it and then read the questions before going back and focusing in on the specific areas that the questions pertain to. We recommend you try both strategies when doing practice questions to see which one works better for you.
Once you’ve determined how you’re going to approach the poetry questions the next step is carefully read the title and the author. The title may give you clues as to what the poem is likely to be about and if you are able to recognise the author this can give you insight into the type of poem may be. Given the time pressure, you’ve got to use all the clues you’re given to quickly get the gist of the poem.
Now it’s time to actually start your analysis. To do this you need to be familiar with the basics of analysing a poem. We recommend using the SMILE mnemonic outlined below:
S
tructure – how many stanzas (aka paragraphs) is the poem? Does the poem rhyme? Does the poem have a rhythm to it? Who is the speaker of the poem?
M
eaning – What is the poem about? Is there an overall theme? Is there a message the poet is trying to convey?
I
magery – Does the poem contain similes, metaphors or apersonification (see definitions in the poetic devices section below)?
L
anguage – what words and phrases are included? Are words being used ironically?
E
ffect – how does the poem make you feel? What is the tone or mood of the poem? What is the point of the poem?
Working through this mnemonic should help you to quickly grasp what the poem is about.
A few useful concepts to familiarise yourself with are the common types of poems included in the GAMSAT and the common poetic devices (aka techniques) that poems utilise.
Common types of poems include:
- Prose poetry – straightforward ordinary language
- Sonnet – rhyming poems that follow a strict 14 line structure
- Haiku – 3 lines (5-7-5 syllables)
- Ode – an emotional lyric poem about a place or thing
- Ballad – a story about a major event
- Limerick – a humorous 5 line poem with the rhyming structure AABBA
Some important poetic techniques include:
- Similes – compare two things using the words “like” or “as” to illustrate how they are similar e.g. “she was cool as a cucumber.”
- Metaphor – when one thing is compared to another thing without using the words “like” or “as” e.g. “she is a walking dictionary.”
- Personification – when an object or animal is given human traits e.g. “the leaves danced in the trees.”
- Alliteration – use of the same consonant at the beginning of each word e.g. “slowly the sly snake slithered over the slimy surface.”
- Onomatopoeia – words that sound like the noise they describe e.g. “buzz”, “pop”, “Splash”
- Irony – differences between the appearance of an event and the reality, or between expectations and results, or between meaning and intention. There are a few different types:
- Verbal irony – words are used to suggest the opposite of what is said e.g. sarcasm e.g. if it’s raining outside and someone says “what lovely weather we’re having.”
- Situational irony – an event occurs that contradicts the expectations of characters or the audience e.g. a fire station burning down.
- Dramatic irony – a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader knows to be true e.g. if someone makes fun of you for losing your wallet when unbeknownst to them they have also lost their wallet
- Enjambment – when an idea begins on one line and continues onto the next line
- Hyperbole – exaggeration e.g. “he was a million miles away”
Familiarising yourself with these devices by doing lots of practice questions will assist you to quickly recognise them when sitting the GAMSAT.
Like all sections of the GAMSAT it is crucial to carefully read the question and answers. Try and rule out the incorrect answers to narrow down your options. And don’t forget to watch the clock! Hopefully with these tips and lots of practice you’ll be confident to approach poetry questions in section 1. Good luck!
