Avoid oversimplifying or distorting the story or poem. Limit your interpretations to what you can reasonably write about. Check to see if the elements of your argument fit together and are supported. Accurately present the facts, quotes, etc. Ask yourself what the poem means.
Interpretation moves beyond our emotional response.
The four elements of interpretation are observing, connecting, inferring, concluding. Develop your own meaning about the poem. Once you determine the meaning of the poem, try to construct a working thesis about that meaning. The thesis should be a statement that offers your interpretation. Your interpretation is always one single point about the poem or an aspect of the poem.