Poetry

What is poetry? Poetry is a genre of literature that uses imaginative and musical language to communicate experiences thoughts or emotions Lecture Notes Outline What is poetry? Poetry is a genre of literature that uses imaginative and musical language to communicate experiences, thoughts, or emotions.

How are poetry and prose similar? Both poetry and prose use imagery and figurative language to paint a picture for readers. Both poetry and prose use precise language to convey a tone, viewpoint, or perception of an object or experience. Lecture Notes Outline How are poetry and prose similar? Both poetry and prose use imagery and figurative language to paint a picture for readers. Both poetry and prose use precise language to convey a tone, viewpoint, or perception of an object or experience. Extension Options Ask students to consider the challenges of writing poetry versus writing prose. To that end, have them consider this quotation by W. Somerset Maugham: “The crown of literature is poetry. It is its end and aim. It is the sublimest activity of the human mind. It is the achievement of beauty and delicacy. The writer of prose can only step aside when the poet passes.”

How are poetry and prose different? Poetry compresses meaning into fewer words. Poetry often uses meter, rhyme, lines, and stanzas. Poetry allows more freedom in the ordering of words and use of punctuation. Lecture Notes Outline How are poetry and prose different? Poetry compresses meaning into fewer words. Poetry often uses meter, rhyme, lines, and stanzas. Poetry allows more freedom in the ordering of words and use of punctuation. Extension Options Tell students that although conventional poetry adheres strictly to meter and rhyme, British poetry from the mid-eighteenth century on has a more liberated quality, using the rhythms and cadences of spoken language.

What are the purposes of poetry? To entertain readers To enlighten readers by sharing the human experience To provide readers with insight into themselves and others To help readers experience joy, inspiration, comfort, gratitude, redemption, or strength To unite readers in a common understanding Lecture Notes Outline What are the purposes of poetry? Poetry can entertain readers; enlighten readers by sharing the human experience; provide readers with insight into themselves and others; help readers experience joy, inspiration, comfort, gratitude, redemption, or strength; and unite readers in a common understanding. Extension Options Share with students this excerpt from a speech presented at Amherst College by John F. Kennedy in honor of the poet Robert Frost: “When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the areas of man’s concerns, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses, for art establishes the basic human truths which must serve as the touchstones of our judgment.” Ask students to react to Kennedy’s observations about the power of poetry.

Sonnet A sonnet is a fourteen-line lyric poem. Like other types of lyric poetry—such as odes, elegies, and ballads—a sonnet expresses the emotions of a speaker often has an intimate, meditative quality Lecture Notes Outline A sonnet is a fourteen-line lyric poem. Like other types of lyric poetry—such as odes, elegies, and ballads—a sonnet: • expresses the emotions of a speaker • often has an intimate, meditative quality Extension Options Share with students that the word sonnet comes from the Italian word sonetto, meaning “a little sound or song.”

Lyric Poetry Song lyrics are types of lyric poetry. The main purpose of lyric poetry is not to tell a story, as it is with narrative poems.

Stanza: paragraph:: line: sentence Lines and Stanzas A stanza is a group of two or more lines in a poem. A stanza consists of a grouping of two or more lines, set off by a space, that usually has a set pattern of meter, and rhyme. The stanza in poetry is analogous with the paragraph that is seen in prose, related thoughts are grouped into units A single line of words in a poem Stanza: paragraph:: line: sentence

Literary Terms Meter- regular rhythmic pattern in poetry, as determined by the number of beats in each line Rhyme- the repetition of sounds at the ends of words Rhythm-a musical quality produced by the repetition of stressed and unstressed syllables.

Literary Terms Assonance- the repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end with different consonant sounds Consonance - a poetic device characterized by the repetition of the same consonant two or more times in short succession, as in "pitter patter" or in "all mammals named Sam are clammy".

Literary Terms Dialect- a version of a language spoken by the people of a particular place, time, or social group Diction- refers to the writer's or the speaker's distinctive vocabulary choices and style of expression in a poem or story

Literary Terms Tone- literary technique which encompasses the attitudes toward the subject and toward the audience implied in a literary work. Tone may be formal, informal, intimate, solemn, somber, playful, serious, ironic, guilty, condescending, or many other possible attitudes Symbolism- a symbol is a word or object that stands for another word or object. The object or word can be seen with the eye or not visible. For example a dove stands for Peace. The dove can be seen and peace cannot. The word is from the Greek word symbolom.

Literary Terms Allusion- a reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of literature. Allusions are often indirect or brief references to well-known characters or events. Allegory- a narrative that serves as an extended metaphor. Allegories are written in the form of fables, parables, poems, stories, and almost any other style or genre. The main purpose of an allegory is to tell a story that has characters, a setting, as well as other types of symbols, that have both literal and figurative meanings.

Literary Terms Rhetoric- the art or study of using language effectively and persuasively Avant-garde- from French, "advance guard" or “vanguard” develops new or experimental concepts especially in the arts

Literary Terms Personification- figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is given human qualities or abilities. Sensory Image- images created in your head from a very detailed description of something, often using more than one of the five senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing).