SIFT Method – Reference Sheet Symbols Tangible objects that represent intangible ideas Look for possible symbols by identifying objects in the poem and considering what they could mean (this may take a little while). Identify any OBJECTS from this poem. List them on your paper. Imagery The name given to the elements in a poem that spark off the senses. See Touch Smell Hear Taste Going through each of the five senses, what images does the poet create for her audience? Figurative Language The use of words in an unusual or imaginative manner. Some forms: Metaphor Idiom Simile Euphemism Personification Pun Hyperbole Allusion Alliteration Focus on finding the most significant/important examples of figurative language. List them and their types. Tone The poet’s attitude toward the poem’s speaker, reader, and subject matter, as interpreted by the reader. What words, or other choices, in this poem give us clues about its tone? Theme A theme is the central idea or ideas explored by a literary work. For this method, it is always in the form of a full sentence and is referred to as a theme statement. Based on the information that we’ve collected, what do you think is the main idea that the poet is exploring?
SIFT Method – Reference Sheet Symbols Tangible objects that represent intangible ideas Look for possible symbols by identifying objects in the poem and considering what they could mean (this may take a little while). Identify any OBJECTS from this poem. List them on your paper. Imagery The name given to the elements in a poem that spark off the senses. See Smell Taste Touch Hear Going through each of the five senses, what images does the poet create for her audience? Figurative Language The use of words in an unusual or imaginative manner. Some forms: Metaphor Simile Personification Hyperbole Alliteration Idiom Euphemism Pun Allusion Focus on finding the most significant/important examples of figurative language. List them and their types. Tone The poet’s attitude toward the poem’s speaker, reader, and subject matter, as interpreted by the reader. What words, or other choices, in this poem give us clues about its tone? Theme A theme is the central idea or ideas explored by a literary work. For this method, it is always in the form of a full sentence and is referred to as a theme statement. Based on the information that we’ve collected, what do you think is the main idea that the poet is exploring?