Poetry! An Introduction to Figurative Language, Imagery, and Sound

Go Figure A Review of Figurative Language

Recognizing Figurative Language “Figurative” is the opposite of “literal” Literal language means exactly what is said. Figurative language has a deeper meaning, beyond the surface of the words. Poets use figurative language as frequently as literal language. You must be conscious of the difference, otherwise a poem may make no sense at all, or you may miss additional/deeper readings of a poem.

Simile A comparison between two things using the words like or as Examples: He eats like a pig As cold as ice Free as a bird “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are gonna get.” “My mistress’s eyes are nothing like the sun.” (Shakespeare, Sonnet 130)

Metaphor An explicit or implied comparison between two things, without using “like” or “as” Examples: He is a pig. A sea of faces “ It was raining when Rahel came back to Ayemenem. Slanting silver ropes slammed into loose earth" (Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things) “Night’s candles are burnt out” (Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet)

Personification A figure of speech which gives human qualities to an animal, object, or idea Examples: The wind sighed The storm raged Justice is blind “The grey-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night” (Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet)

Imagery Language that appeals to one or more of the reader’s five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch). “This Is Just To Say” I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox and which you were probably saving for breakfast Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so cold --William Carlos Williams

Hyperbole An exaggeration or overstatement used for emphasis or humorous effect Examples: I’m going to starve to death before the end of third period! “I'll love you, dear, I'll love you/Till China and Africa meet.” Any and all yo’ momma jokes.

Pun A joke that comes from a play on words, often making use of word’s multiple meanings Examples: Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now. I'd tell you a chemistry joke but I know I wouldn't get a reaction. “Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man.” (Romeo and Juliet)

O “Incident in a Rose Garden” Listen as I read the poem Take it one stanza at a time: Listen as someone in your table-group reads it again. Summarize the stanza out loud with your table-mates. What happens? Are you confused by anything? Mark and label every instance of simile, metaphor, personification, and imagery that you can find

Discussion What examples of simile, metaphor, personification, and imagery did you find? Why is “Incident in a Rose Garden” ironic? What is the theme of this poem?

Honors Homework/On-Level Extra Credit Read “A Certain Slant of Light” and follow the instructions at the bottom. Due tomorrow.

Listen up! A Review of Sound Devices

Rhyme The occurrence of a similar or identical sound at the end of two or more words Examples: Hickory, dickory, dock, The mouse ran up the clock. The clock struck one, And down he run, Hickory, dickory, dock. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date. (Shakespeare, Sonnet 18)

Internal Rhyme A rhyme that occurs within a line Examples: There once was a man from Nantucket Who kept all his cash in a bucket. But his daughter, named Nan, Ran away with a man And as for the bucket, Nantucket. Nothing further then he uttered – not a feather then he fluttered Till I scarcely more than muttered "Other friends have flown before... (Edgar Allan Poe, “The Raven”)

Repetition A technique in which a sound, word, phrase, or line is repeated for effect or emphasis Examples: Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! We are never ever ever getting back together We are never ever ever getting back together Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. (Shakespeare, Macbeth)

Alliteration The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words Examples: Peter picked a peck of pickled peppers. She sells seashells by the sea shore. Damn Daniel “Five miles meandering with a mazy motion” (Samuel Coleridge, “Kubla Khan”)

Assonance The repetition of vowel sounds within non-rhyming words Examples: Damn Daniel "The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain.“ (My Fair Lady) “Tyger, Tyger burning bright in the forest of the night“ (William Blake) “As the verses unfold and your soul suffers the long day” (Jethro Tull)

Annabel Lee Turn to the poem “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe (p. 199 in your textbook) Read the poem twice Write a summary of the poem (at least 5 sentences) Write down one example of each of the following: Rhyme Internal rhyme Repetition Alliteration Assonance

10-Minute Poem: Figurative Language On your index card, write a few lines of poetry about the apple or the banana You must use ALL of the poetic devices below at least once. Circle/highlight and label them: Metaphor Personification Imagery Due in 10 minutes!

Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe It was many and many a year ago, a In a kingdom by the sea, b That a maiden there lived whom you may know a By the name of Annabel Lee; b And this maiden she lived with no other thought c Than to love and be loved by me. b I was a child and she was a child, In this kingdom by the sea, But we loved with a love that was more than love— I and my Annabel Lee— With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven Coveted her and me.

Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee; So that her highborn kinsmen came And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a sepulchre In this kingdom by the sea. The angels, not half so happy in Heaven, Went envying her and me— Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea) That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe But our love it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than we— Of many far wiser than we— And neither the angels in Heaven above Nor the demons down under the sea Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride, In her sepulchre there by the sea— In her tomb by the sounding sea.

10-Minute Poem: Sound Devices On your index card, write a few lines of poetry about the baseball or the shell You must use ALL of the poetic devices below at least once. Circle/highlight and label them: Alliteration Assonance Internal Rhyme Due at the end of class!

Consonance Repeating the same consonant sound, especially at the end of words Examples: “The silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain” (E.A. Poe) “Generations have trod, have trod, have trod; And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil” (Gerard Manley Hopkins) “All’s well that ends well.” (Shakespeare)

Onomatopoeia The use of words that sound like the thing that they are describing, such as “hiss” or “buzz” Examples: “Chug, chug, chug. Puff, puff, puff. Ding-dong, ding-dong. The little train rumbled over the tracks.” “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is” “Silver bells! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle.”

Meter The regular pattern of accented and unaccented syllables in a line of poetry Examples: “There once was a man from Nantucket” “When I have fears that I may cease to be” “To be or not to be. That is the question.” All poems---and all anything, really—have a rhythm (though some are stronger than others). Not every poem will have a meter, however—this is called free verse.

Story Time!

Poetry Slam Videos "OCD" -- https://youtu.be/vnKZ4pdSU-s Youth Speaks Seattle Grand Slam 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N_ud27oJcc Raven – 36:00 – repetition, personification, simile, metaphor Troy – 1:01:00 – metaphors, similes, personification Thinking About You (Mike) -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0QiFy8dmX0 --similes, repetition, pun (the world makes sense/cents) "Repetition“ https://youtu.be/6KI6c_IfvHg --repetition, simile, pun (gravity), personification, "I Am Not That Girl“ https://youtu.be/pfCjSo-Nklg --repetition

Denotation and Connotation Denotation: the literal or dictionary definition of a word Connotation: the attitudes and feelings associated with a word. The connotation of a word may be positive, negative, or neutral. For example: Unique (positive connotation) Weird (negative connotation) Unusual (neutral)

Close your eyes and think back to your clearest memory from when you were a small child. Do you remember where you were? What you were wearing? Do you remember specific colors, smells, sounds?

My Papa’s Waltz Re-read and annotate for positive and negative word connotations. To the left of the poem, list all the words that have positive connotations To the right of the poem, list all the words that have negative connotations

Exit Ticket Explain the difference between denotation and connotation.

Paradox A statement that seems to contradict itself but is, nevertheless, true Examples: “I must be cruel to be kind” (Shakespeare) “What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young” (Shaw)

Allusion An indirect reference to another literary work or to a famous person, place, or event Examples: “Be careful; you’re opening a Pandora’s box.” “This place is like a Garden of Eden.”