Interpretations
Interpreting and analysing a poem is not necessarily a matter of finding the right answer.
Poems are complex creations and are open to many different interpretations. Your How a person understands the material or situation presented before them. is as valid as anyone else's - as long as you can back it up with suitable evidence from the text.
Remember to avoid simply identifying what techniques or approaches poets use. Aim to show an understanding of how form, language and structure create meanings and effects.
Below are some differing interpretations of the poem. How would you interpret the poem?
Examples
Interpretation of the whole poem
| Interpretation | Reason for interpretation |
| The reader may sympathise with the people of Jerusalem. | The attackers are compared to a wolf hunting its innocent prey and the ‘fold’ refers to an enclosure in which sheep would be kept. |
| The reader is meant to sympathise with the Assyrians. | So many Assyrians are killed that we are meant to be horrified by what has happened to them. We also learn about their grieving widows. |
| Interpretation | The reader may sympathise with the people of Jerusalem. |
|---|---|
| Reason for interpretation | The attackers are compared to a wolf hunting its innocent prey and the ‘fold’ refers to an enclosure in which sheep would be kept. |
| Interpretation | The reader is meant to sympathise with the Assyrians. |
|---|---|
| Reason for interpretation | So many Assyrians are killed that we are meant to be horrified by what has happened to them. We also learn about their grieving widows. |
Interpretation of the lines: ‘And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;/ And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,’
| Interpretation | Reason for interpretation |
| The Assyrian soldiers are described as powerful and strong. | This is emphasised by the bold colours of their uniforms and the sheer number of their weapons. |
| The Assyrian soldiers are not as strong and powerful as they appear. | The words ‘gleaming’ and ‘sheen’ hint that the Assyrian army is all about flashy showmanship and that they are not quite as powerful as they think they are. |
| Interpretation | The Assyrian soldiers are described as powerful and strong. |
|---|---|
| Reason for interpretation | This is emphasised by the bold colours of their uniforms and the sheer number of their weapons. |
| Interpretation | The Assyrian soldiers are not as strong and powerful as they appear. |
|---|---|
| Reason for interpretation | The words ‘gleaming’ and ‘sheen’ hint that the Assyrian army is all about flashy showmanship and that they are not quite as powerful as they think they are. |
