Answer:
Connect to the Author and Time Period
The context of a poem sheds light on the overall meaning of the words. The time period and biography of a poet will give insight that may be hard to decipher just by reading the poem out of context. A good example is the famous poem "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allan Poe. This narrative poem describes the untimely death of a beautiful woman. A close look at Poe's life reveals that he lost several women close to him, including his mother, stepmother and beloved wife. The poem is also Poe's last known work and one of Poe's only poems with a positive message: that the speaker and Annabel Lee will be reunited after death. When in doubt about the meaning of a poem, research the poet and his era for missing clues.
