Understanding a poem's structure for example, its "slang," will give you an idea of the era the poem was written in. It can also tell you how old the poet is and what their mindset was like. In order to interpret a poem's meaning, it's important to know the poet as well- this can help you step into the shoes of the poet and feel what they are feeling through the poem. The structure can also change throughout the poem, for example, its point of view.