 English poet and man of letters.  Author of political, philosophical, and religious poetry and prose in Latin and English.  Served in Oliver Cromwell’s government.  Lost his eyesight while on public service.

1 When I consider how my light is spent 2 Ere half my days in this dark world and wide, 3 And that one talent which is death to hideone talent 4 Lodg'd with me useless, though my soul more bent 5 To serve therewith my Maker, and present 6 My true account, lest he returning chide, 7 "Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?" 8 I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent 9 That murmur, soon replies: "God doth not need 10 Either man's work or his own gifts: who best 11 Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state 12 Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed 13 And post o'er land and ocean without rest: 14 They also serve who only stand and wait."

 A major American poet.  Unrecognized and almost unpublished during her lifetime.  Lived an extremely lonely life.  Enjoyed gardening and literature, communicating to people mostly through correspondence.

1. Does the poem clearly fall into a certain category (type, genre)? 2. What kind of a speaker do we encounter? 3. Does the speaker have a set identity (personality type, occupation, gender, etc.) or is he/she anonymous? 4. Whom does the speaker address? 5. Do you, personally, connect to the speaker? Why?

The Tone: the speaker’s attitude toward the subject or the audience, expressed through word choices, sentence structure, imagery, meter, rhyme, etc.  What kinds of tone can a poem have?  Does the tone stays the same or can it change as the poem unfolds?

 Serious  Comic  Ironic  Sarcastic  Formal  Joyful  Sad (elegiac)  Playful  Condescending Et cetera…

 English poet, not prolific but influential.  Most famous for “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” (1751).  General James Wolfe said in 1759: "Gentlemen, I would rather have written that poem than take Quebec tomorrow.”

 The Ode: a genre of lyrical poetry; a relatively lengthy poem, serious in subject matter, elevated in its diction and style; written in praise or commemoration of a person or an event.

 Irony involves a difference or contrast between appearance and reality - that is a discrepancy between what appears to be true and what really is true.  There are three common types of irony in literature. A. Verbal irony occurs when people say the opposite of what they mean. There are two kinds of verbal irony :  Understatement occurs when one minimizes the nature of something.  Overstatement occurs when one exaggerates the nature of something. Verbal irony in its most bitter and destructive form becomes sarcasm. Someone is condemned by a speaker pretending to praise him or her.

 B. In situational irony, the situation is different from what common sense indicates it is, will be, or ought to be. Situational irony is often used to expose hypocrisy and injustice. htm  C. Dramatic irony occurs when a character states something that they believe to be true but that the reader knows is not true. The key to dramatic irony is the reader's foreknowledge of coming events. ny.htm

 A poem written in elegiac couplets.  A song or poem expressing sorrow or lamentation especially for one who is dead;  Something (as a speech) resembling such a song or poem;  A pensive or reflective poem that is usually nostalgic or melancholy. webster.com/dictionary/elegy

 British-born American poet, critic, feminist, and political activist.  Prominent representative of American avant-garde.  Claimed to have been a poet since age five.  “What Were They Like?” “What Were They Like?”

 A major American poet.  Associated with New England.  Author of works of deep philosophical and psychological complexity “disguised” as “realistic” poems.  Winner of four Pulitzer Prizes.  “Fire and Ice” (1920) “Fire and Ice” (1920)