Poetry Rate yourself

What is poetry? Poetry – type of literature(one of the three literary genres) usually written in lines and stanzas, that combine words, sounds, imagery, and rhythm to create meaning. Stanza – Like the paragraph of a poem Lyric – Express the thoughts and feelings of a single speaker. Lines – help poet add natural pauses and create patterns of rhythm called METER. Voice – What perspective the poem is from matters. 1 st – 3 rd (POV) female or male? young or old? Always refer to poet as – poet or speaker.

What’s great about poetry? No grammar rules apply. It’s musical in nature A lot of deep information in a small amount of writing. Can be creative with expression and have fun. At times if you follow specific poetic types, the constrictive nature forces you to be creative.

What’s a challenge? Subversive in nature. (Lots of hidden meanings and packed in information) Understand the surface then go beneath it(like an Ice Berg) Allusions – a reference to something that the author assumes you know from religion, history, literature, or pop culture. EX. So Eden sank to grief. Symbolism – one thing/item/animal stands for something else. EX. Poem takes place in the winter. Things die in the winter. Poem could be about death but not be directly stated. Vocabulary – must understand upper level vocabulary. Use context clues when possible.

Use TPCASTT Break poems down: Title – predict meaning Paraphrase – What’s the poem about? Main idea – what’s happening. Connotation – What emotional meaning do the words carry? Positive/negative Attitude – How does the author feel about the topic? Positive/negative Shift – Does the feeling change at any point? Title – Does the title seem to carry a different meaning? Theme – What’s the message the author wants you to take away from poem? Could be more than one.

Types of poems Certain poems are constricted ways of writing to force the poet into creativity. Ballad – A song like poem that can be quite long in nature Free verse – Follows no patterns or structure Sonnet – a 14 line poem usually about love. Some sort of rhyme scheme is usually used. Couplet – when two lines rhyme with some pattern in a poem Haiku – (5-7-5 syllables lines) only three lines in length usually about nature.

Nursery Rhymes Rhyme scheme – the pattern in which certain poems rhyme. Nursery rhymes are similar to poems in that they carry deeper meaning at times.  Ring around the roses(A)Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall(A)  Pocket full of posies(A)Humpty Dumpty had a great fall(A)  Ashes, Ashes(B)All the kings horses, and all the kings men(B)  We all fall down(C) Couldn’t put Humpty together again(B)

Figurative language The unique ability for a writer to deliver information. It’s the opposite of literal. Also known as rhetorical devices or poetic devices. literal – Saying exactly what you mean. No fun, no life, no uniqueness. Ex. It’s hot outside. figurative - Not meant to be taken literally. Ex. The sun beats down like a musician beating on a drum. (simile) Ex. The heat laughs as we sweat like dogs.(personification) Ex. It’s so hot my skin is melting off.(hyperbole) Ex. The ground was a waffle iron and my feet were the waffles. The more unique the better the device