Intro to Poetry The Art of Language

Poetry Analysis What is the author’s purpose? How is the purpose achieved? What is the effect on the audience? Basically, what is being said and how is it being said and why is it being said in that way?

The Characteristics of Poetry Literature that appears in “verse” form (lines). Used to tell stories, express feelings, or convey ideas. Emphasizes sound through sound devices. Heavy reliance on tropes (figurative language) and schemes (arrangement).

Poetry Basics Speaker – The “voice” of the poem – not necessarily the author. Audience Stanzas – Group of lines that form a unit. Meter – The number of syllables in a line of poetry. Foot – A unit of measurement within the meter, usually one stressed syllable with another stressed or unstressed. Meter/Foot example: I am a pirate with a wooden leg. I am/ a pi/rate with/ a wood/en leg. Iambic pentameter contains five feet; each foot is one stressed and unstressed syllable.

Sound Devices Rhythm is the pattern, or beat, of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line (foot/meter) of poetry. Rhyme is the repetition of final sounds in two or more words (“Once upon a midnight dreary,/ while I pondered, weak and weary.”) Alliteration is a repetition of initial sounds in words (“/while I pondered, weak and weary”). Half/Slant/Near Rhyme is similar, but not exact rhyme. (home and come, or close and lose.)

Sound Devices Assonance is the repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds. (Men sell the wedding bells.) Consonance is a pleasing combination of sounds or the repetition of similar consonant sounds. (He struck a streak of bad luck.) Dissonance is a mingling or union of harsh, inharmonious sounds that are grating to the ear. (Why? That my chaff might fly; my grain lie, sheer and clear.) Onomatopoeia is the use of words that sound like what they refer to, i.e. “Boom”, “Clank”.

A Word on Rhyme Scheme the ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of the lines of a poem or verse. Couplet: AA, BB, etc. Enclosed rhyme: ABBA, Rubaiyat/Ruba'i: AABA, Sonnet (Shakespearean): ABAB CDCD EFEF GG Villanelle: A1bA2 abA1 abA2 abA1 abA2 abA1A2, where A1 and A2 are lines repeated exactly which rhyme with the a lines.

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost Identify the rhyme scheme.

Common Poetic Devices A symbol is an object, person, or place that stands for something beyond itself. Imagery is the descriptive language that appears to one or more of the senses – sight, sound, taste, touch, or smell. Figurative Language are words used to compare unlike-things as like-things.  Metaphors describe one thing as another: “Her burning eyes are stars.”  Similes use like or as to compare two unlike things: “Her eyes burn like stars.”  Personification give human qualities to something nonhuman.

More poetic devices Irony is the opposite of what is expected.  It can create humor, suspense, or terror depending on the context.  Three types: 1. Situational Irony – a situation that is the opposite of what one would expect. 2. Verbal Irony – when one says the opposite of what another would expect. 3. Dramatic Irony – when the audience is aware of something one or more of the characters are not aware of. An allusion is a direct reference to something in art, literature, or culture.

Types of Poetry Narrative Poems: stress story and action. Lyric Poetry: subjective poems that express the feelings and thoughts of a single speaker. Epic: long poems that record the adventures of a hero. Elegy: a lament for the dead. Romance: adventure is the central feature. Epigraph: brief, witty poem often satirical. Ballad: repeated lines and stanzas in a refrain. Ode: a long, stately poem. Aubade: a love lyric expressing complaint.

A word about the sonnet A sonnet is a love poem that originated in Italy (man  woman). Contains 14 lines: --First 8 (octave) poses a problem. --Last 6 (sestet) solves problem. --Line 9 (volta) is a sharp turn that brings resolution. Abba abba … **Petrarch: A priest who loved a woman named Laura; he wrote 366 sonnets of unrequited love. **Petrarchian Sonnet **Shakespearean Sonnet: 14 lines: three quatrains and a couplet abba, cddc, effe, gg Iambic Pentameter

The Poetry Project Path A: Writing Poetry. Write a poem that describes a specific topic and conveys a message. Requirements: - Minimum of 12 lines or 50 words. - Must use three poetic or literary devices. - Must use two sound devices. - Must have a title. - (List and explain poetic/sound devices used on the back of the poem.) Path B: Poetry Out Loud. Memorize and deliver a poem to the class. (You will be graded via the “Poetry Out Loud” rubric.) - Minimum of 12 lines or 50 words. (You may deliver two poems if needed.)