Day 5: Self and Identity in Poetry Tuesday, March 27th

Today: Identify common themes in poetry Focus Question Goals Identify common themes in poetry Read and interpret poems with themes of self and identity How do poets express themes of self and identity?

Common themes in Poetry Love and Attachment Love may possibly be the most popular theme in poetry because love is a complex emotion that resonates with readers . Love is usually coupled with another theme of the poem, such as love lost, true love, the love of a parent or even the love of a certain type of food or animal. The love of nature is a theme seen in many of Henry David Thoreau's poems, including one titled "I am the Autumnal Sun": "Sometimes a mortal feels in himself Nature -- not his Father but his Mother stirs within him, and he becomes immortal with her immortality

Common themes in Poetry Tragedy and Loss Poems sometimes tell a story, and they aren't always stories with happy endings. In fact, many are quite the opposite. Tragedy and loss are types of themes in poetry. The subjects of these poems may be war, divorce, heartbreak, a friend moving away or even death. One of the most famous poems about death is Emily Dickinson's "Because I Could Not Stop For Death," in which she describes her grave: "We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground – The Roof was scarcely visible – The Cornice – in the Ground."

Common themes in Poetry God and Spirituality God, heaven and spirituality are common themes in poems. In fact, the Bible holds some of the world's most famous poems. Spirituality is a very personal thing, and that is why many poets find it a good theme for their poetry. Such themes may touch on what happens during or after death, the meaning of fate, free will versus destiny, and deities. In the first stanza of "Batter My Heart, Three Person'd God (Holy Sonnet 14)," John Donne makes a plea to God: "Batter my heart, three-personed God, for you As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend; That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new."

Common themes in Poetry Milestones and Memories Some poems are about the events and memories that make life so poignant, such as a baby's first birthday, a special holiday, a favorite season or simply the passing of time. Other themes in this category type include lessons learned from historical events -- whether major world events or simply something in the poet's own history, like the time he hit a home run at the championship game, or even the time he lost one shoe. Poems are not always solemn, and humorous poems are always fun to analyze. Jack Prelutsky is an American writer known for his humorous children's poems. One of his most popular poems is about a nose: "Be glad your nose is on your face, not pasted on some other place, for if it were where it is not, you might dislike your nose a lot."

Common themes in Poetry Self and Identity Many people choose to write poems about themselves, or about identity We are always trying to find ways to define ourselves and reinvent ourselves, and poetry provides a way for us to do both Walt Whitman’s “Songs of Myself” only has the word "identity" occurs only a couple of times but it is easily the central theme of this vast epic. Whitman sees his identity split into at least three components: his everyday personality, the more inner "self" or "Me Myself," and the universal "Soul”.

Group and Independent work Teacher read: “On Turning Ten” Group: With your table buddies, reread, then analyze “On Turning Ten” by Billy Collins Group: TSP-FASTT and ???’s Independent/HW: Compare and Contrast poems, modern day vs older poem on similar themes Independent/HW: TSP-FASTT for both poems Independent/HW: Questions on the board (answer on back! Sorry I forgot to make them F&B!)

Questions for Compare and Contrast How does each poem express ideas about identity and self? (through what devices/forms/etc.) What effect does the language/word choice have on the tone of the poem? Which poem did you enjoy more? Why? Which poem did you relate to more? Why? If I hadn’t put the dates on the poems, could you have figured out which poem was the older poem? Why or why not? What gives the “age” of the poem away?

Sources: Reid, Mitch, et al. “Types of Themes in Poems.” Pen and The Pad, penandthepad.com/types-themes-poems-19471.html.