How to Bring Up Failing Grades

Nobody likes to fail classes, and as much as you might profess to not care about grades, there is likely an inkling of frustration you’re carrying about that failing grade. Bring failing grades up to passing is not as complicated as you might think, although it will require initiative and motivation on your part.

Speak With Your Instructor

Your first step after learning of a failing grade is to speak to an instructor or teacher as quickly as possible. You need to learn why you’re failing the course. Often failing falls into two categories – you haven’t completed necessary assignments and have zeroes bringing down your average or you have failed assignments and tests you have completed.

Learn as much as you can from your teacher including the assignments you failed or are missing and the teacher’s available conference times or tutorial periods.

Complete Missing Assignments

The best case scenario for failing is that you’re simply missing assignments. If your teacher is willing, as most are, simply complete the missing assignments for partial credit. Anything is better than a zero in the grade book – even a fifty. Complete all of the missing work as quickly as possible bringing each assignment to the teacher during tutorials to be sure she sees your progress as you work through the stack of things and you have a chance to ask any questions you might have. When you’ve finished everything, you will likely be passing or have brought up your grade enough that you’ll be passing with a few assignments completed on time for full credit.

Redo Failed Work

If your teacher offers make-up work on things you’ve failed, absolutely take advantage of the opportunity. Even bring failing grades up to a D or C will help your grade quite a bit. If you’re failing assignment after assignment, however, you’re looking at a sign of a bigger problem. For you to pass the course, you need to identify what the problem is. It could be that you’re simply unmotivated and didn’t put any effort into the assignments. Or it might be that you’re trying hard and just not getting it. If it’s a problem of motivation, only you can make yourself care about your work when it’ assigned. If you’re struggling to understand the material, you’ll need to take an additional step.

Go to Tutorials

Before paying for private tuition, visit the teacher during her tutorial or office hours. Ask questions about the material covered and ask the teacher to help you work through some of the more complicated areas of the lesson. Working with peer tutors that are available in many schools is another free way of gaining help. If you have a friend in class who doesn’t mind helping you, you might take advantage of that avenue of assistance as well. If you find yourself still struggling with material and basic understanding, strongly consider a series of private tuition to fill in background knowledge and help teach you the lessons again from different perspectives until it finally clicks and you’re able to do well on assignments.

Easy Step By Step Instructions

• Talk to the teacher or instructor about failing grades to learn what is causing the failure
• Make up any missing work that might have a grade of zeroes
• Redo as much work as possible to raise failing grades
• Attend teacher tutorials or peer tutoring to get a bit of extra help with concepts and assignments
• Use private tutoring to fill in gaps of knowledge and to learn material in different ways

Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions

Private tutoring can vary widely in style, cost and format. Decide ahead of time whether you need help with the occasional homework or if you’re more interested in an extra evening course to fill in gaps and help you learn more overall.

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How to Tell a Girl You Like Her

From the earliest days of primary school, boys and men have been faced with an age-old quandary: how to tell a girl that you like her. While there are plenty of options ranging from chasing her down on the playground at recess to showering her with gifts, there is no way to guarantee that a particular choice will produce the optimal result of her returning your affections. However you decide to tell her, the most important thing is that you actually tell her, rather than living in a state of uncertainty or constantly wondering what could have been.

From the earliest days of primary school, boys and men have been faced with an age-old quandary: how to tell a girl that you like her. While there are plenty of options ranging from chasing her down on the playground at recess to showering her with gifts, there is no way to guarantee that a particular choice will produce the optimal result of her returning your affections. However you decide to tell her, the most important thing is that you actually tell her, rather than living in a state of uncertainty or constantly wondering what could have been.

Custom-Made

Just like your girl is one-of-a-kind, you need to be sure your confession matches her personality. What works for one girl may not work for another. Keep this in mind if, when offering you advice, your buddy swears that his way is the only way. Most girls will appreciate your attempt to appeal to their unique preferences and your efforts to treat them like an individual.

Basic Choices

While no method of revealing your feelings can be labeled as easy, these choices are fairly basic and will allow you to save some money for those dates that will hopefully follow. A well-thought out verbal confession uncluttered by gifts or gimmicks is the most basic, yet for some, the most nerve-wracking option. For a sentimental-type, a handmade or store-bought card delivered in either a unique personal delivery or the conventional method (if you have the patience and trust the postal service with such a special delivery) can do the trick.

Gift Ideas

Depending on what type of girl you’re after, a gift may catch her attention and indicate that you are serious. Sending her a gift at her home or work may be easier for you and may allow her time to process your revelation. Traditional gifts include items such as flowers, jewelry, teddy bears, and chocolate covered-strawberries or other chocolates. Non-traditional gifts may show her that you know more about her than the average guy.

For instance, buying her the newest CD of her favorite artist shows that you care about the details of her life. Think about things that she is passionate about, like a pet or a hobby, or some piece of personal history that you share and buy a gift along those lines. Remember, though, you don’t want her to go out with you out of a sense of obligation because of your gift. Don’t go overboard. Save that for later.

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How to Find a Boyfriend

If you’re out of school, and afraid to taint your reputation at work by dating co-workers, you might find yourself in an awkward situation. There are horror stories about men you meet in bars and if one more friend fixes you up with some weird guy, you’ll probably lose it. If you want a boyfriend, but can’t seem to find one in your current situation, here’s how to land a decent guy – who might just turn out to be the man of your dreams.

Take Advantage of Internet Dating Sites

Internet dating sites had a seedy reputation for a long time, but today they are acknowledged as a legitimate means to finding others looking for love or at least a good time. If you’re going to use a singles dating site, be sure you understand how the site works and protect yourself by keeping your distance from prospective dates until you’re completely comfortable.

For example, go ahead and create a profile on a dating site and read through the profiles of others. If you get any interested responses, read through them carefully and reply through the board careful to not give away any personal details about yourself such as your last name, phone number or personal email address. Continue your conversation through the site, and then use a personal email address you’ve set up separate from your normal account to speak with him further.

Speak with him on the phone a few times to be sure there are no surprises as to his age before meeting him, and your initial meeting should be in the company of others. Meet him in a popular coffeehouse or restaurant and be sure to let a friend know where you’ll be. Hopefully after meeting him all will be well and you can continue getting to know each other.

Take a Class or Join a Club

If you want to meet people outside of work and away from all that “help” offered by friends and family, go where your type of guy will be. If you want an athletic boyfriend, head to the gym for a membership and sign up for a few personal lessons to learn to use the circuit training system or weights. Make eye contact with possibilities, and see if you get a response. If you become a regular gym member, you’ll be seeing a lot of the same people over and over again offering you plenty of opportunities to strike up a conversation or flirt.

If you want a more intellectual man, join a literary society or take a class at the local community college for enrichment. Like sailing? Join a sailing club. Want a religious man? Join a Bible study.

Go to Church and Participate in the Community

Often romance will strike when you’re least expecting it, so stay active in areas that are important to you. That way, men you’ll be around will have the same priorities saving you a lot of headaches down the road. If you are religious, take advantage of the many singles programs offered by churches to meet new people.

Community service projects such as Habitat for Humanity or other hands on projects will let you rub shoulders with others trying to make the world a better place. And you never know, maybe they’ll make your world a better place, too.

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How To Prepare For an Interview

You just got out of school and you’re raring to join the work force so you could start earning your keep. Or you must be an old-timer hoping to get a stab at that managerial post that’s been opened in your company. Like most candidates, you would have to go through an interview or even a series of it before the company hands down their choice.

What To Do:
Nothing beats preparing for an interview. Everyone knows that. If not, these candidates learn it the hard way and just shake their heads in disappointment after it’s been done. You don’t have to go through the same and miss that wonderful opportunity of getting hired and forego the feeling of accomplishment that goes with it.

It is imperative that you completely understand your strengths and weaknesses. When you prepare your resume, make sure you can back up the details you put in there when asked for more specifics. Anticipate that questions will most likely be directed towards your skills, work experience, educational background, relevant training, career goals or lack of it. The interviewer might even give you situational questions related to the job you are applying for.

Research and Practice:
It would also boost your opportunities if you researched on the company and the position you are aiming for. The interviewer will most definitely ask you why you feel you are fit for the job. This is where researching would help you because no interviewer would appreciate being asked what the post is all about. I can just imagine the interviewer rolling their eyes at you. The interviewer may not be as expressive but you can go ahead and kiss your chances goodbye. Interviewers will want to hear your qualifications aligned with the requirements for the job. The person who fits the job most will most likely get past the interview and win the job.

Now, you may the best fit for the job but you end up getting tongue tied and failing to express yourself in words because of nervousness. It is expected that a person who goes through an interview gets butterflies in their stomachs. The best way to overcome this feeling is coming in prepared. Practice in front of the mirror so you could see how you project yourself during an interview. Are your hands too distracting when you talk? Do you have that smug expression when talking about your accomplishments? Be sure to project yourself professionally so interviewers will take to you positively during interviews.

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How To Beat Competition In An Interview

Graduating from school is quite an accomplishment but and unprepared graduate can soon find themselves facing tough competition when trying to get a new job. If you want to get ahead of you competition, you must learn the tips and tricks on how to win that interview and squash competition more effectively.

Set Yourself Apart From Everyone Else:
If all determining factors for potential candidates are the same, the hiring manager will almost always choose an applicant that stands out from his/her competition. The first thing that you can do to stand out for an interview is arrive early. It’s a simple basic rule but one that often people take for granted Arriving early can also place you in the “lime light” and you may even get the chance to speak to the hiring manager in a casual environment prior to your interview meeting.

You want to make sure that you also research your possible employer. The majority of your competition concentrates on becoming familiar with the factitious contents of their own curriculum vitae or resume. They may know it like the back of their hands but not a lot will go the extra mile to make it consistent or in line with the company’s goals and missions. You of course, will not know the company’s goals and mission unless you do your research first. Doing your homework can impress the interviewer with your initiative, knowledge and abilities/skills that the company could directly relate to their goals.

Prepare for the Unexpected:
It wouldn’t hurt to ask around and read on publications that can help you prepare for some interview questions they might throw at you. Although most applicants are prepared to talk about their strengths, it would be good to know how to respond impressively if the interviewer starts asking you about what your weaknesses are. You don’t want to project yourself as a poor candidate but you have to do positive scripting so that your weakness might turn out to be more of an advantage to you and the company than the other way around.

Interviews will also touch on some of your problem solving skills. It’s not a simple math of two plus two equals four. They want to see and hear how confident you are when faced with problem scenarios that might come with the job you are aiming for. They would want to see someone who knows how to find a good work around when faced with a problematic situation instead of someone who guesses or pulls answers out of their hats randomly.

Above all in your interview, be sure to answer truthfully and with integrity. Honesty can go a long way with a hiring manager and will help you take the extra step to set yourself apart from your competitors.

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How to Decorate a Dorm Room

A dorm room is a pretty tight space often shared by one or more roommates. It can be particularly challenging to decorate a dorm room as the walls are often an unattractive material, you’re unable to paint them, and there are few places to actually put decorative elements. That shouldn’t stop you from doing what you can to spruce up a dorm room, however, you’ll just have to be creative.

Coordinate with Your Roommate

If you’ll be living with a roommate, your first step is to discuss any decorating plans. You may find your roommate doesn’t care about decorations. She might also be interested in buying matching bedspreads and accessories to be sure the room is coordinated. You might also find that your roommate has her own special plans for the room. If this is the case, you can go along with the plans or you can agree to simply decorate your own space.

Find Decorations that Fit

The most area you have to decorate in a dorm room are walls, ceilings, and floors. Any shelves will most likely be crammed with books, desks are covered in computers, and of course your bed will have a bedspread. There will be little or no room for furniture and certain accessories, such as candles, may be illegal in the dorm.

Decorate the Floor

Floor coverings such as a carpet remnant or rug offer you some comfort under your feet and a starting place for decorations. Classic beige carpet allows for any type of décor while a colorful woven rug may lend itself best to sometime more exotic such as Moroccan décor which lends itself well to colorful pillows and blankets. Find a floor covering that fits your budget and space allotment.

Decorate the Beds

Your bedspread might be the largest splotch of color in the room if you choose bland colors for the floor and wall. Find a pattern that appeals to you. Don’t be limited by department stores. Search out markets that sell colorful spreads and blankets as an alternative to the traditional bed in a bag. Your bed may match your roommates or it may not – it’s up to the two of you.

Decorate the Walls

While you’re grabbing fun blankets for your bed, grab a few for your walls, too. Hang a lightweight blanket with an interesting pattern behind your bed to give your walls color since you can’t paint. You can even tack the blanket up over your bed in a kind of drape to give your room a truly unique flair. Twinkle lights, posters, and picture collages are another fun and personal way to add touches to your room. Add what accessories will fit and enjoy your new, if tiny, space!

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How to Lose Weight

>All of the television commercials and emails we receive make it seem simple to lose weight. Take a pill, buy this book, try this special meal plan and in recent years, have this surgery. Losing weight isn’t necessarily challenging, but it does require effort and a commitment. To change your body, you’ll have to change your routines and possibly your whole lifestyle. Here’s how to lose weight.

Understand Calories

Calories are individual sources of energy. Your body needs energy to perform its daily functions and the number of calories a person actually needs in a day varies by what he does and his size and age. For example, a teenage boy requires thousands of calories a day to keep up with his activities and his body as it grows literally inches a month. A thirty-five year old man is less likely to be playing football or basketball after school and is only growing out at this point, so he needs far less calories. The amount of muscle you have will also increase the number of calories you require.

Excess Calories

If you eat more calories than your body needs to complete its daily tasks, the extra calories are stored in the body as fat. The more calories you consume over your body’s required amount the more fat is stored in the body.

Reducing Calories

The first step to losing weight is to reduce the number of calories you consume on a daily basis. As it is better to burn calories rather than starve them away, you’ll want to reduce calories by no more than 1000 per day over the span of a week or two and increase your activity level.

Activity Level

Calories are designed to be burned. This means that if you continue to sit on the couch but simply stop eating, you will lose weight, but most of that weight won’t be a long-term loss. Your metabolism, or burn rate, will dramatically slow effectively burning fewer calories over time. Then, once you stop the particular diet, your metabolism burns fewer of the calories you’re now consuming again and the weight piles back on.

Instead of a simple diet, increase your activity level to burn 500 or 1000 calories a day. A brisk one hour walk will burn 350 calories. Combine a one hour walk with a slight reduction in calories and you’ll find your weight loss goals much more easily met.

A Weight Loss Plan

If you are serious about losing weight, you should make two changes. The first is to increase the amount of healthy foods you eat and reduce the unhealthy ones. Don’t diet per se, but do replace fattening chips with rice cakes or whole wheat crackers. Skip the ice cream and have sorbet. Track how many calories you’re actually consuming to keep it close to how many your body actually uses on a day without the extra exercise. This will help to keep your metabolism up. By simply switching from high calorie foods to lower ones, you’ll be eliminating hundreds of calories from your diet.

Increase your activity level dramatically. Take the stairs at work and walk when possible. If you can’t get to a gym or take a long walk, try to do short bursts of activities during the day. Get your heart pounding as often as possible. Even standing or stretching while watching television burns far more calories. Walking in place or on a treadmill while you watch your favorite shows burns even more. The more calories you burn and the more muscle you build, the faster the fat will come off.

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How to Apply Make Up

Every young teen girl has been there at one point or another. She goes to school and sees the popular kids dressing cool and wearing make up. It’s only natural that she would want to fit in and look beautiful. In fact, peer pressure can often make a girl think that wearing make up is as important as getting your driving license. Fortunately, applying make up is not that difficult, even for a first-timer.

Make Up Preparation:

Before you start, you want to make sure that your face (the area to which you will be applying make-up) is extremely clean and free of oil and dirt. It’s best to use a gentle cleanser with a light exfoliate. This will clean your skin and remove and dead and unwanted skin cells. Be sure to clean your entire face and neck area and don’t scrub so hard that your skin becomes irritated. Once finished, rinse the area with cold water and pat your face dry with a towel.

Next you will want to apply a small amount of moisturizer. Moisturizer is very important because once you apply make up to your face, your skin cannot breathe and can become dry and flaky. A good moisturizer will also help absorb natural oil and grease throughout the day. Keep in mind that you do not need to use a lot, often a small amount about the size of a dime will work.

Laying The Foundation:

After you have cleaned your face and applied a light layer of moisturizing lotion, your next step is to lay a foundation. Think of this step as if you were building a house. You need a strong foundation to help protect and support what you add on top of it. A good foundation layer will also keep some of the make up from getting deep into your pores and causing breakouts. When you choose a foundation, pick a color that matches the skin tone of your neck. Having a foundation that does not match your skin tone can make your later layers of make up look un-natural. Be sure to blend it onto your entire face in a light layer and ensure that your skin absorbs the foundation before moving on the the next layer. You can use a light sponge to help your skin blend and absorb the foundation.

Powder It Up a Bit:

Once your foundation has been applied and absorbed you can apply your powder. Lightly dab a powder brush into the powder and apply it to your face. Use soft light strokes with the brush to even out the powder and give your skin a more natural look. Remember you are trying to enhance your natural skin tones, not conduct plastic surgery on yourself!

Eye Shadow:

If you want, you can add a little eye shadow to bring out your eye color. If done correctly, eye shadow can work wonders. Like most make up however, always remember to keep it light. Too much eye shadow can leave you looking like one of those zombies from Dawn of the Dead. You’ll find that you have a larger variety of color when dealing with eye shadow and in the end, the choice of color is a matter of personal preference. Decide upon your color and with an eye shadow brush, dust your eye lids and even our the surrounding skin area.

Your Lips:

Your lips are the next area of your face that you will want to touch up. Like eye liner, there are so many choices to chose from, in the end it comes down to personal choice. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different colors and textures. One of the best make up choices for lipstick is MAC make up which often has higher quality ingredients.Once you have decided upon your color, trace the outside of your lips with a light liner (much like using a pencil). Then, apply your lipstick with light rubbing motion. Be sure to keep the lipstick within your trace lines and, if you want, apply a light layer of lip gloss.

There are a host of other make up options available but, if you are just learning how to use make up, your best bet is to keep things simple. Remember a little make up can make you stand out and enhance your natural look but, a lot of make up can leave you looking a little cake faced and then you will really stand out. In this case, less really is more.

If you are just starting out with make up, keep in mind that you do not need to buy everything all at once. If you purchase a little make up here and there, you can slowly increase the amount and type of make up available to you. As you get more practiced with applying make up, you can try new techniques and colors. Lancome make up is one of the better places to go if you are wanting to start your collection.

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How To Write an Essay

The formal essay is a fundamental in education. A formal essay is the best way to share knowledge on a particular topic and is a very popular form of exam. An essay can be personal or research based, but an essay generally follows the same format.

The Outline:

A well written essay can easily be tied back to an outline. It is heavily framed than then fleshed out with details. An outline for a classic five paragraph essay looks like this:

I. Introductory Paragraph

II. Main Idea #1

a. Detail about Main Idea #1

b. Detail about Main Idea #1

c. Detail about Main Idea #1

III. Main Idea #2

a. Detail about Main Idea #2

b. Detail about Main Idea #2

c. Detail about Main Idea #2

IV. Main Idea #3

a. Detail about Main Idea #3

b. Detail about Main Idea #3

c. Detail about Main Idea #3

V. Closing Paragraph and Summary

Introductory Paragraph:

The introduction to your essay should contain your thesis statement. This is the one sentence that summarizes your entire paper. All supporting paragraphs will provide details about this statement, so it must be broad enough to say your complete message, but it also must make a solid point. Generally the thesis statement is the first or last sentient of the introductory paragraph.

Body Paragraphs:

Each of the body paragraphs in an essay makes a point. Each paragraph should follow the same format as shown by the outline above. The first sentience of each is the topic sentence for that paragraph. The topic sentence should contain only one supporting point, such as “The French Revolution was disappointing to many of the French peasants of the time.”

Then, each of the remaining 3-4 sentences should give details and proof as to how and why the peasants were disappointed. Each paragraph should make a different point with at least two supporting statements and details following the topic sentence. You can have as many body paragraphs as you do points to make.

The Closing Paragraph:

After you have introduced your topic and stated your point using your thesis statement, you offer support. Your body paragraphs offer supporting statements and details that show your thesis statement to be correct. Finally, you must wrap up your support and close the paper using a powerful ending.

The closing paragraph restates your thesis and ties in the supporting statements. Ideally you should have a powerful final statement that will linger in the mind of your reader and help cement your point. In some cases, the closing paragraph could be shortened to a single sentence and tacked onto the end of the final body paragraph, but it is cleaner to simply add a final paragraph.

Essay Overview:

From a very high perspective, an essay is clean and tidy. You first introduce your topic and tell the reader what you are about to say. Then, you say it. Finally, you wrap it up and tell the reader what you just said. There is no room for extra items or long drawn out side stories.

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How To Read a Poem

The first step in learning how to read a poem is to find a poem you like. An obvious observation, I suppose, but many people leave their high school English classes afraid to even approach a poem for appreciation having had the details of poetry so thoroughly beaten into them by some well meaning teacher that the beauty of the verse is lost. If you do not already have a favorite poet whose work excites you to learn more about poetry then an excellent place to start is with simply reading poetry. 

Go out and purchase an anthology or two. You can spend as much or as little as you like on a collection of poetry. The anthology itself can be as broad as a complete history of poetry including texts from every era and nation to being as narrow as a collection of poems a slam team performed in a national competition. It might be a good idea to find an anthology that includes at least one or two poets with whom you are already familiar as well. I would also suggest that some publishers have begun including cd’s of the poets reading their own works.

Read through the anthology and do not be afraid to skip a poem you do not appreciate. If you want or need capitalization and you find a poem where there in none, don’t read it. Or if you do not like free verse and prefer a poem that has end rhymes by all means read only the poems that have end rhymes. You can always return to the poems you have skipped at a later time. 

Once you have a few poems you like and want to fully appreciate you can begin the real fun of fully reading a poem. Poetry is deeply rooted in oral tradition. Therefore, most poetry is written to be "heard." I say "most poetry" because there are some poets (cummings, for example) who played with the poetry form to such a degree that certain poems are virtually impossible to read aloud. However, when seen on the page, these poems are lovely to look at and this was the poet’s purpose in manipulating the form of the poem so that the reader would have a visual stimulation beyond the words. 

Nonetheless, most poetry was written to be read aloud and to fully appreciate a poem the reader should take a moment to read the poem out loud. Feel the words on your tongue. Notice how the sounds are either soft full of s’s, f’s, and h’s or hard with sharp k’s, b’s and p’s. Listen to where you naturally pause for breath and how this influences the movement of the poem. Pay attention to where you find yourself slowing down or speeding up. Your appreciation for the skill of a poet will grow by leaps and bounds by simply reading the poem through a few times. If you can hear the poet read the poem on a recording, try to do so after you have done this for yourself. See where your reading of the poem is different from how the poet reads the poem. 

If you suffered through those high school English classes, you are aware that there are certain poetic devices a poet uses. Such words as metaphor and iambic probably still haunt you to this day. Let me reassure you that I will not try to exhaust the lexicon of poetry terms. However, there are a few things you will find in most well written poems and looking for these elements will bring you a greater appreciation for what you are reading. 

Of the poems you have chosen from the anthology, choose one of the longer pieces. It is easiest to find one or more of the following in a longer piece. Once you have a poem chosen, read it through slowly, looking for some or all of the following:

• Sensory Words and Imagery: As you are reading, notice what senses the poet tries to stimulate. Does the poet describe a scene, mention a fruit, or even a season? An orange will draw up a visual image as well as a taste and aroma. A season will have a certain feel to it that goes beyond merely physical. (For instance, winter is usually associated with endings.)
• Metaphors and Similes:  Here are two of those dreaded poetry terms you probably hoped you would never see again. Don’t run away just yet. Read through the poem you chose and see if you can’t surprise yourself by recognizing a metaphor. For instance, I alluded to the idea that winter is associated with ending on an emotional level. Winter can often be a metaphor for death but it can also be a metaphor for new renewal, hibernation. Or it can be a metaphor for the emotional coldness someone feels towards another person. Footprints in the snow may be a metaphor for the past. Look for the metaphors and similes and if you find none, don’t worry about it. 
• Rhythm and Rhymes:  If you have already read the poem aloud a few times you will have already discovered these things in the poem. Even in free verse, the lines will have a certain rhythm. There may even be some rhyming words although you won’t always find them at the end of the line. Also look for repetition in sounds, which creates a rhythm in the poem as well. Vowels can be long or short and certain consonants, like c and g, can be hard or soft. In the hands of a masterful poet, these details will not be coincidental.

By no means is this list exhaustive but these few details are recommended as a starting point. Nor am I suggesting that you do this for each and every poem you read. It is not necessary to do these things to enjoy the poems you are reading. 

If you have the time to do so then by all means make the effort. But I am guessing that you do not have the time. Making a commitment to read poetry regularly and to pick out the poems you like most is an excellent beginning. Once you have a few favorite poems, purchase collections of poems by the poets you like best. Perhaps read a biography about the poet and find out who inspired him or her and read that poet’s works as well. Or find a contemporary poet whose works are influenced by your favorites. And, as you become more comfortable with reading poetry and appreciating the craft of the poem, I hope you will make the effort to learn more of those poetry techniques you probably hated in high school. Even if you don’t, doing the above will take you a long way in learning to love poetry.

* Footnote: I have learned that not all poets know how to read their own poetry, surprisingly enough, and their voices do not do justice to their own writing. There are, however, recordings of actors reading poetry and, because of the dramatic training these men and women have gone through, the recordings often elevate the poem to wonderful heights.

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