“Poetry is language elevated to its highest form.” –dana gioia

poetry unit Agenda Poetry Unit: Notes- you will not have to copy definitions– only examples that help you understand concepts 2 Poems- analyze, discuss connotation, practice decoding poetry, practice TPCASTT TPCASTT – I do, we do, you do… Close Study of poetry Poet Bio and Famous Poems group assignment Poetry Recitation- Learn why it is useful/important, recite a poem of your choice (Above is a minimum of what we will pursue within the topic of poetry)

TPCASTT- is an AP (advanced placement course) English strategy TPCASTT- is an AP (advanced placement course) English strategy. It is a straight-forward and quick way to analyze a poem. It will allow you to get the most out of a poem in a short amount of time. T- Title- How does/did the title strike you upon reading it the first time? What did you think the poem would be about based on this title? Positive or negative connotation? P- Paraphrase- Paraphrase the poem either line by line or by sentences. Avoid writing one sentence that sums up the entire poem unless it is a VERY brief poem. Sometimes the words are easy to understand, but it is still unclear what is happening in the poem. Your paraphrase should uncover this for the reader. C- Connotation- Although this term usually refers solely to the emotional overtones of word choice, for this approach the term refers to any and all poetic devices. ). It is not necessary that you identify all the poetic devices within the poem. The ones you do identify should be seen as a way of supporting the conclusions you are going to draw about the poem. A- Attitude- This is another word for tone. Your job here is to determine the what the main subject of the poem is and what the author’s attitude is toward that subject. Always be sure to actually choose a word that describes an attitude. If you’re unsure, google “list of tone words.”

TPCASTT- is an AP (advanced placement course) English strategy TPCASTT- is an AP (advanced placement course) English strategy. It is a straight-forward and quick way to analyze a poem. It will allow you to get the most out of a poem in a short amount of time. S- Shift- Where is the “shift” in the tone, mood, voice, diction, or action of the poem? There is ALMOST always a place where the poem shifts. It can be subtle or big, but find the shift and explain it. There can be more than one shift in a poem. T- Title- Reanalyze the title. What does it tell you on an interpretive level? How does it help you understand the poem? T-Theme- List the subjects and the abstract ideas in the poem. Then determine the overall theme. This usually takes two or three sentences, but is okay if it only takes one. We will finish taking notes tomorrow by following along with a TPCASTT. It will be helpful if you start thinking about what the poem means right away. Then, when we start going over it, you will be able to contribute to discussion.

Success is counted sweetest by Emily Dickinson Success is counted sweetest By those who ne’er succeed. To comprehend a nectar Requires sorest need. Not one of all the purple Host Who took the Flag today Can tell the definition So clear of victory As he defeated – dying – On whose forbidden ear The distant strains of triumph Burst agonized and clear! How can you tell this is a poem? What is different about the language than an essay? How is the format/structure different? How would you begin to decide what this poem means?

Sound devices Sound devices are resources used by poets to convey and reinforce the meaning of poetry through the skillful use of sound.

Sound device- rhyming There are three types of rhymes that we will learn about this year: End rhyme- when the final word or syllables in lines of poetry form a rhyming pattern. End rhyme is the most commonly found rhyme pattern. A. Rhyme scheme is sometimes shown by writing letters at the end of lines to indicate which lines rhyme with each other. B. Some common end rhyme schemes are: A,B,A,B– C,D,C,D– E,F,E,F– G,G – Shakespearean sonnet A,B,B,A– C,D,D,C– E,F,E,F– G,G– Petrarchan sonnet (or Italian sonnet) 2. Internal Rhyme- a rhyme pattern in which the middle word in a line rhymes with its end word in the same line. The most famous example of this is in the poem, “The Raven,” by Edgar Allen Poe: “When I nodded nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping.

Sound device- rhyming There are three types of rhymes that we will learn about this year: 3. Slant Rhyme- is formed by words with similar but not identical sounds. In most cases, the consonants are the same, but the vowel sounds are different. Examples: “I have met them at the close of day Coming with vivid faces From counter or desk among grey Eighteenth-century houses.” OR “A narrow fellow in the grass Occasionally rides You may have met him– did you not His notice sudden is” *This is the most difficult kind of rhyming to spot. Look for it by finding the rhyme scheme first in the other stanzas. Then, see if there are lines that seem like they don’t fit in.

Sound device- meter The measured arrangement of words in lines of poetry to create rhythm. Often, meter is created by using the same number of syllables in each line of poetry. It can also be created by placing similar emphasis on syllables in each line. Ex: We’ll weather the weather Whether the weather be cold Whatever the weather Whether the weather be hot Whether we like it or not Whether the weather be fair Whether the weather be not

Sound device- Onomatopoeia This sound device is fun to say and often appears as an extra credit spelling word on tests and quizzes! Onomatopoeia happens when the sound of a word is basically its definition. Another way to think of it is to remember that the formation of the word was associated with what it is named: sizzle, drip, splat, pow, honk, boom, etc… Ex. “Things that go bump in the night…”

Sound device- Alliteration Repeating initial (first letter) consonant sounds in two or more words that are near each other, usually in lines of poetry. Usually the words are consecutive but they can have small words between them. Example: When I see birches bend from left and right... / I like to think some boy's been swinging them.

Sound device- assonance Repeating vowel sounds in words that are near each other, usually in lines of poetry. The words are often consecutive and the vowel sounds are usually somewhere in the middle of the words. ** How is assonance different from rhyming? Ex. “Poetry is old, ancient, goes back far. It is among the oldest of living things. So old it is that no man knows how and why the first poems came.”

Figurative language Figurative language is the use of words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation.

Figurative language- metaphor The comparison of two unlike things/ideas without the use of the words like or as. Ex. “She is all states, and all princes I.”

Figurative language- simile The comparison of two unlike things/ideas using the words like or as. Ex. “I wandered lonely as a cloud.”

Figurative language- hyperbole An exaggeration to add emphasis or state the importance of an idea- not to be taken literally. Ex. “And I will come again my dear Though it were ten thousand mile.”

Figurative language- idiom A group of words or a phrase whose figurative meaning does not come from the words’ literal meanings Pick your favorite!! Not giving you this one. 

Figurative language- imagery Language that appeals to the five senses. Any meaning that requires the reader to use sensory awareness. (Sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch) Ex. “…it came crashing toward me,, its tail flailing like a bundle of swords, slashing the grass, and the inside of its cradle-shaped mouth gaping”

Figurative language- allusion Implied or direct reference to a person, place, event, literature, etc. These references are usually recognizable to the culture in which the literature is released. Ex. “O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you.” A fairy believed to be responsible for giving people dreams when they sleep. He is saying, “Oh, then I see you have been dreaming.”

Figurative language- personification The use of human characteristics to describe non-human things. This can also be a type of metaphor. Ex. “The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:” (referring to flowers)

Figurative language- pun The use of a dual-meaning word for humorous effect. Ex. “winter of our discontent…made glorious summer by this Son of York.”(Richard III) Romeo: “Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes with nimble soles; I have a soul of lead” (Romeo and Juliet) The life of a patient of hypertension is always at steak. Why do we still have troops in Germany? To keep the Russians in Czech. A horse is a very stable animal. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

Other poetry terms to know There is a common vocabulary that people use when they discuss what is important or meaningful about poetry. Try to use these words when we discuss poetry together in class.

tone The attitude of an author toward the subject he or she is writing about. !! Do not confuse tone with mood. You will be able to identify how the author feels about what he/she writes about. Consider how this is similar to tone of voice.

mood The feelings a reader has as he/she is reading. This tends to be very universal. People tend to have similar feelings about death, love, suspense, etc. Authors/poets use these to dictate mood.

Poetic diction The linguistic (language) style, vocabulary, and figurative language used in the writing of poetry. This is an elevated form of language. Conversations and essays would be confusing if carried out this way. That is why we reserve it for poetry and the explaining and revealing of strong emotions.

Enjambment The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza. OR a line’s ending prior to the end of the sentence or thought. Ex. I knelt down at the edge of the water, and if the white birds standing in the tops of the trees whistled any warning I didn't understand, I drank up to the very moment it came crashing toward me…

Couplet Two rhyming lines together that usually form a complete thought or the answer to a question, as in a sonnet. (First twelve lines pose a question or state a dilemma while the final rhyming couplet provides an answer/solution. Indicated in rhyme schemes as “G,G”) 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:  So long as men can breathe or eyes can see G So long lives this and this gives life to thee. G

symbolism The use of a noun or object to represent another person, place, thing, or idea. Ex. “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts,” What might each of these symbolize?

Success is counted sweetest by Emily Dickinson Success is counted sweetest___ Succeeding is most valued By those who ne’er succeed.___ By those who never succeed To comprehend a nectar___ To understand the sweetest things in life 4 Requires sorest need.___ Requires that a person desperately needs to Not one of all the purple Host___ Not one of the “royal group” Who took the Flag today___ Who won victory today Can tell the definition___ Can give an explanation 8 So clear of victory___ So vividly of what victory really is As he defeated – dying –___ As he who LOST the fight while he’s dying On whose forbidden ear___ And his dying ears can hear The distant strains of triumph___ The far away sounds of victory/celebrations 21 Burst agonized and clear!___ Surging painfully and clearly. How can you tell this is a poem? Lines are grouped into stanzas. What is different about the language than an essay? It is “fancier” and uses more symbolism, etc. How is the format/structure different? Each line is short. There are some thoughts that go on to different lines/stanzas. How would you begin to decide what this poem means? Look up unfamiliar words, read the poem several times. Read lines as if they are sentences. Find fig. language and decipher, etc.