A poem is something like complex toy that you take apart and put back together. If when you put it back together and it still works, you know your effort succeeded.
Analyzing, explicating, examining poems can be a challenge. But when you find a poem you truly enjoy, the challenge is worthwhile. Instead just thinking quietly about the joy the poem brings, if you ask yourself a series of questions about the poem, you might find that you enjoy the poem even more.
Three important question to begin with are: 1. Who is the speaker? 2. What is the dominant metaphor? 3. What are the dominant images?
If you can answer these questions with some detail, you'll find that you actually appreciate the poem even more. And you will also find that your respect for the poet deepens.
