Analysis

The analysis of the poem “How to Eat a Poem” by Eve Merriam shows that the outer composition is simple, with the poem being broken into three stanzas with a mix of long and short verses. The inner composition shows that the process of enjoying a poem resembles eating a bowl of fruit. 

The speaker of the poem is most likely Eve Merriam herself, who invites the young audience – the children – to read and enjoy poetry. 

The language of the poem is simple and direct, with the poet straightforwardly expressing her ideas. 

Some of the poetic devices used in the poem are metaphors and enumerations. In general, the entire poem uses the idea of eating fruit as a metaphor for reading poetry. 

You can read a more detailed analysis on the following pages.