Elements of Literature: Poetry
Form Form is the physical arrangement of the words on the page. This includes the length and placement of the lines, and the way they are grouped into stanzas. Some poetry (limericks, sonnets, etc.) are written in strict formal patterns.
Stanza and Line A stanza refers to a group of lines that form a unit of poetry. This is comparable to a paragraph in prose. Line refers to a single line of poetry. This is comparable to a sentence in a paragraph.
Examples of Stanza and Line Stanza: a group of lines Line: a single line Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me; Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings. In spite of myself, the insidious mastery of song Betrays me back, till the heart of me weeps to belong To the old Sunday evenings at home, with winter outside And hymns in the cozy parlour, the tinkling piano our guide. So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamour With the great black piano appassionato. The glamour Of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast Down in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past. Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me; Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings. In spite of myself, the insidious mastery of song Betrays me back, till the heart of me weeps to belong To the old Sunday evenings at home, with winter outside And hymns in the cozy parlour, the tinkling piano our guide. So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamour With the great black piano appassionato. The glamour Of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast Down in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past.
Sound Devices Alliteration: the repetition of initial consonant sounds Example: Shelly sells sea shells at the sea shore. Assonance: the repetition of vowel sounds within non-rhyming words Example: a greed as deep as the sea
Rhyme End rhyme: rhymes that occur at the ends of lines of poetry; usually creates a rhyme scheme Internal rhyme: a rhyme that occurs within a line of poetry
Example of Rhyme End Rhyme Internal Rhyme Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate Rough winds do shake the buds of May And summer’s lease hath too short a date. Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore— While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
Onomatopoeia Creating or using words that imitate sounds. Examples: pop, boom, buzz, pow
Rhythm Rhythm is the pattern or flow of sound in a poem. Rhythm is measured in meter. The most common type of meter is iambic pentameter, which we will study when we read a Shakespearean play.
Rhyme Scheme vs Free Verse Rhyme scheme is the pattern of end rhyme in a poem, measured by using letters of the alphabet. Example: ABAB CDCD Free verse refers to poetry that does not contain a regular pattern of rhyme and meter.
Simile and Metaphor Simile Metaphor A simile is a comparison between two things using “like” or “as.” Example: I ran as quick as lightning. A metaphor makes a comparison without using “like” or “as.” Example: I am a strong warrior.
Imagery Imagery is a type of figurative language that describes words and phrases that re-create vivid sensory experiences for the reader. These words and phrases appeal to your five senses: touch, sight, smell, taste and sound.
Personification Personification is a type of figurative language in which human qualities are attributed to an object, animal, or idea. Example: The moon sings a sad song.
Speaker In poetry, a speaker is the voice that talks to the reader. The speaker is not necessarily the poet. The speaker is similar to a narrator in fiction.