Poetic Structure- the basics

Term to know: Stanza A stanza is a set of lines in a poem grouped together and set apart from other stanzas in the poem by a space. Poems may contain any number of stanzas, depending on the author’s wishes and the structure in which the poet is writing. Many types of poetry have a fixed number of stanzas. Stanzas serve a similar purpose to paragraphs in prose writing.

Visual Cues Line breaks and lengths-why end or start the line in certain places? “A Lemon” by Pablo Neruda   Out of lemon flowers loosed on the moonlight, love’s lashed and insatiable essences, sodden with fragrance, the lemon tree’s yellow emerges, the lemons move down from the tree’s planetarium Out of lemon flowers loosed on the moonlight, love’s lashed and insatiable essences, the lemon tree’s yellow emerges, the lemons move down from the tree’s planetarium

Visual Cues- Line breaks: “Creed” by Gabriela Mistral I believe in my heart that when The wounded heart sunk within the depth of God sings It rises from the pond alive As if reborn. I believe in my heart that what I wring from myself To tinge life’s canvas With red of pallid hue, thus cloaking it In luminous garb.

Visual Cues: Line Breaks: Affect the poem’s rhythm. Emphasize words and phrases important to the poem’s theme. Sometimes give the poem a shape more appropriate to the poem’s theme.

Visual Cues Why capitalize Cliché? Capitalization- “But today I won't make one more Cliché And write this poem to you. No, no more clichés.” Why capitalize Cliché?

Visual Cues Punctuation Little little man, little little man, set free your canary that wants to fly. I am that canary, little little man, leave me to fly. Vs Little little man little little man set free your canary that wants to fly. I am that canary little little man leave me to fly.

What is the visual effect of the dashes around ‘no one’? Visual Cues: Punctuation- Commas vs. Dashes Love crosses its islands, from grief to grief, it sets its roots, watered with tears, and no one—no one—can escape the heart’s progress as it runs, silent and carnivorous. What is the visual effect of the dashes around ‘no one’?

Visual Cues: Punctuation/ Capitalization: Emphasizes key words and phrases in the poem. Tells the reader where to stop (commas, periods, semi-colons), which can change the meaning of the poem.

Look at the “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon. Visual Cues: Look at the “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon. Underline 3 unique visual cues she uses.

Sound Cues Rhyme- Why make it rhyme? Are there any drawbacks?

Sound Cues Repetition- Repeating various lines or words. What is the effect? ‘The Water hollowed the stone, the wind dispersed the water, the stone stopped the wind, Water and wind and stone.’

Sound Cues Assonance- Repeating various vowel sounds. He spoke in a low mellow tone. ‘One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impair'd the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress, Or softly lighten o'er her face’ -Byron

Sound Cues Alliteration- Repeating initial consonant sounds "I bear light shade for the leaves when laid." –Shelley “The wailing of women settled like a sediment of sorrow” (Achebe)

Sound Cues Rhyme creates rhythm in a poem, but might not be appropriate for certain subjects. Tricks like Repetition, Assonance and Alliteration also create rhythm in your poem.