1. Who is the speaker? What sort of person is he? To whom is he speaking?

2. What is the time and place (the setting) of the poem? (time of day, month, year, century, etc.; place: indoors or outdoors, city or country, nation or family)

3. What is the event or occasion?

4. What is the central purpose of the poem? Try to state it in a simple sentence.

5. What is the poet saying? Write a paraphrase of the poem.