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First, tell me what you think the poem is about

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First, tell me what you think the poem is about. Tell me what its topic or subject matter is, and also tell me what you think its purpose or message is. 
Second, tell me what kind of poem it is (a sonnet, a ballad, a haiku, etc.), and tell me how the style of the poem is used by the author to deliver their message. 
Third, conduct an in-depth analysis of the poem, going line-by-line in order to determine how the author makes use of their limited space. Remember, one of the features of poetry is that poems are short, and make use of carefully-selected and highly symbolic word choices in place of long prosaic descriptions. With this in mind, I would like you to study the symbolism of the poem in a similar fashion to the way in which you studied the symbolism of the myth or folktale that you analyzed for our first major assignment. Are there any deeper meanings behind the people, places, objects, and/or events that the writer is describing? Also, what sorts of emotions does the poem evoke, and how does it inspire those emotions? 
Lastly, tell me how the poem effects you personally, and whether you think it is an effective poem. If you see connections between this poem and other pieces of literature that you've read (if you think this poem inspired, or was inspired by other pieces of literature), then you should discuss that as well. 
A breakdown of the points is listed below: 
Discussion of Poem Meaning (what, overall, do you think the poem is about?) - 5 points

Discussion of Poem Style (what type of poem is it, and how does the author used that style to convey meaning?) - 5 points

Discussion of Symbolism (what symbols and metaphors are used in the poem?) - 5 points

Discussion of Emotion (what emotions are evoked by the poem?) - 5 points

Discussion of Personal Relevance/Opinion (what do you think of the poem?) - 5 points

Spelling and Grammar - 5 points