Unit 1- Poetry

What is poetry? What do you know about poetry? Do you have a favorite poem? Is a poet similar to a musician? Explain.

POETRY- A type of literature that expresses ideas, feelings, or tells a story in a specific form (usually using lines and stanzas)

The Beginning The oral tradition of poems developed because ancient cultures did not have written language. Poems and stories were told as entertainment! Some poems were passed down orally until someone wrote them down. Today, most poems are written by one person expressing himself of herself

Poetry: stories and words Poets create poetry to explore their feelings and the stories they want to share. POET-The poet is the author of the poem. SPEAKER- The speaker of the poem is the narrator of the poem Poetry’s “tools” include forms or patterns, rhythm, rhyme, repetition.

Characteristics of poetry Poems are usually divided into lines and then grouped into stanzas. Stanza-a group of lines in a poem that are separated by spaces Figurative language- is writing or speech NOT meant to be taken literally. Poets use figures of speech to state ideas in new ways.

Metaphors- describe one thing as if it were something else. Example: The house was a zoo this morning! Personification- gives human qualities to something that is not human Example: The cars growled in the traffic. Simile- uses like or as to compare two seemingly unlike things Example: He stormed into the meeting like a tornado. Symbol- anything that represents something else Example: a dove is a common symbol for peace

Sensory language/ IMAGERY Sensory Language appeals to the fives senses. Poets use sensory language to create strong images in the readers minds. Sight Smell Touch Taste Sound

Sound Devices Alliteration- the repetition of consonant sounds in the beginning of words Slippery slope Repetition- the use of any element of language-a sound, word, phrase, sentence, or clause- more than once. Onomatopoeia-the use of words that imitate sounds Crash!, Bang!, or Hiss! Rhyme- the repetition of sounds at the end of words Speech, teach Meter- the rhythmical pattern in a poem Graphical Elements- capital letters, line length, and word position, are visual feature that can influence a poem’s meaning

Tone and mood Mood- The atmosphere or feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage. Tone- the way an author creates an attitude or mood in a piece of writing.

Example: say you don’t want to go to the store with your dad You can say: “I’m sorry, dad. I’d rather not go.” “Why do I always have to go to the store with you?” “I’m not going to the store again!” Which line creates an angry tone? Which line creates a polite tone? Which line creates a whiny tone?

Common examples of tone Optimistic Hurt Compassionate Agitated Questioning Authoritative Hopeful Nervous

theme The Theme is the central message in a literary work. The theme may be stated directly, but is most often stated indirectly When the theme is stated indirectly, the reader must figure out what the theme is by looking at what the work reveals about people or life.

Classic Themes The Importance of Family Dealing with Loss The Importance of Love and Friendship

Classic themes Learning To Be A Hero What It Means to Grow Up The Coexistence of Good and Bad in a Person/ The World

Where do you find the theme? You find hints of the theme everywhere in a story: In the details In sentences and scenes In the characters

Forms of poetry Narrative-poetry tells a story in verse. Narrative poems often have elements similar to those in a short story, such as plot and characters. Haiku- A three-line Japanese verse form. The first and third lines each have five syllables and the second line has seven Free Verse- poetry is defined by its lack of strict structure. It has no regular meter, rhyme, fixed line length, or specific stanza pattern. Lyric- poetry expresses the thoughts and feelings of a single speaker, often in highly musical verse.

Ballads- songlike poems that tell stories Ballads- songlike poems that tell stories. They often deal with adventure and romance Concrete- poems are shaped to look like their subjects. The poet arranges the lines to create a picture on the page. Limericks- humorous, rhyming, five-line poems with a specific rhythm pattern and rhyme scheme. Rhyming Couplets- pairs of rhyming lines, usually of the same meter and length

Analyzing poetry Steps to take when analyzing poetry Read the entire poem without any analysis (this allows you to “see” the entire picture, or tone, of the poem Number the lines Identify any figurative language or poetic devices Identify major topics Draw a conclusion about the main idea of the poem Write down any questions you have Infer the theme of the poem