A paper-first reading field guide
Map a Poem’s Speaker Shift
Use three linked fields: voice before, shift line, and voice after. Keep each field brief and attach the page or chapter landmark that supports it.
Track a change in speaker, addressee, or stance through line and stanza anchors without flattening the poem into summary. A compact three-anchor trail keeps the note useful when you return later or discuss it with someone using another edition.
Step 1
Anchor the location
Record the page or chapter before interpreting the moment. Add the current reading boundary when later knowledge could change the note.
Step 2
Voice before
Describe the speaking position at the first clear stanza.
Step 3
Shift line
Anchor the line where pronouns, address, or stance changes.
Step 4
Voice after
Record the new relationship without assigning an unsupported identity.