POETRY POWER POINT #1 An Introduction

POETRY BASICS Poetry: A type of literature that expresses ideas, feelings, or tells a story in a specific form Form: the appearance of the words on the page Line: a group of words together on one line of the poem Stanza: a group of lines arranged together

Identify… “A Word is Dead” A word is dead When it is said, Some say. By Emily Dickenson A word is dead When it is said, Some say. I say it just Begins to live That day. STANZA 1 Stanza 2 How many lines?

KINDS OF STANZAS Couplet = a two line stanza Triplet (Tercet) = a three line stanza Quatrain = a four line stanza Quintet = a five line stanza Sestet (Sextet) = a six line stanza Septet = a seven line stanza Octave = an eight line stanza

POINT OF VIEW IN POETRY Poet Speaker Addressee Reader The author of the poem Speaker The “narrator” of the poem Addressee Person or thing the speaker is addressing Reader Person reading the poem aloud

SOUND EFFECTS

RHYTHM The beat created by the sounds of the word in a poem Rhythm can be created by using: Meter Rhyme Alliteration Refrain

METER Example: I sit and stare at my computer screen. A pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables Meter occurs when the stressed and unstressed syllables of the words in a poem are arranged in a repeating pattern When poets write in meter, they count out the number of stressed (strong) syllables and unstressed (weak) syllables for each line. They then repeat the pattern throughout the poem. Example: I sit and stare at my computer screen.

METER cont. Foot – unit of meter A foot can have two or three syllables Usually consists of one stressed and one unstressed syllables Types of feet The types of feet are determined by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables Example: Little | drops of | water

METER cont. TYPES OF FEET Iambic – unstressed, stressed Example: But not | a thought | reveals | itself | to me. Trochaic – stressed, unstressed Anapestic – unstressed, unstressed, stressed Dactylic – stressed, unstressed, unstressed

FREE VERSE POETRY Unlike metered poetry, free verse poetry does NOT have any repeating patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables It usually does NOT have rhyme Free verse poetry is very conversational-sounds like someone talking to with you. A more modern type of poetry.

FREE VERSE - EXAMPLES Washed Away by Katherine Foreman Nothing's changed except me and the facts And the sadness I didn't mean to start. But it feels different now you've said It's wrong, and I still can't see your point. And I think as water runs over my hands that That's really all there is or can be. The gold is wearing off the infamous ring And something wears away from around my heart. Fog by Carl Sandburg The fog comes on little cat feet.   It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on. After the Sea-Ship by Walt Whitman After the Sea-Ship—after the whistling winds; After the white-gray sails, taut to their spars and ropes, Below, a myriad, myriad waves, hastening, lifting up their necks, Tending in ceaseless flow toward the track of the ship.

BLANK VERSE POETRY Written in lines of iambic pentameter, but does NOT use end rhyme. Furball Friend Sweet pet by day, hunter by night. She sleeps, she eats, she plays. My feet, caught in white paws. She’s up the fence, watching her prey - a bird. Poor thing, better run quick, ’cause watch, she’ll pounce! She’ll sweetly beg for fuss, but don’t be fooled. ’Cause one minute she’ll purr and smile, then snap! She’ll spit and hiss - and oh - surprise! A mouse. He’s dead. A gift. Retracts her claws. Miaow! Figure of eight between my legs, looks up at me and purrs. The sound pulls my heartstrings. Her big blue eyes like dinner plates - so cute. Cunning she is, she knows I can’t resist. Curling up tight, we sleep entwined as one. Despite her quirks, I would not change a claw of her. Cheeky Sammy: my snow-white queen. Excerpt from Macbeth by William Shakespeare Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.

RHYME Words sound alike because they share the same ending vowel and consonant sounds A word always rhymes with itself LAMP STAMP Share the same short “a” vowel sound Share the combined “mp” consonant sound

END RHYME A word at the end of one line rhymes with a word at the end of another line. Hector the collector Collected bits of string. Collected dolls with broken heads And rusty bells that would not ring.

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary. INTERNAL RHYME A word inside a line rhymes with another word on the same line. From “The Raven” By Edgar Allan Poe Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary.

NEAR RHYME or EYE RHYME An “imperfect” rhyme or close rhyme. LOSE ROSE LOSE Different vowel sounds (long “o” and “oo” sound) Share the same consonant sound The words EITHER share the same vowel sound or consonant sound BUT NOT BOTH

RHYME SCHEME A rhyme scheme is a pattern of rhyme (usually end rhyme but not always) Use the letters of the alphabet to represent different rhyme sounds so that you can visually see the pattern. “The Germ” By Ogden Nash A mighty creature is the germ, Though smaller than the pachyderm His customary dwelling place Is deep within the human race. His childish pride he often pleases By giving people strange diseases. Do you, my poppet, feel infirm? You probably contain a germ. A B C

Match the line to its sound ONOMATOPOEIA Words that imitate the sound they are making. The rusty spigot sputters utters a splutter, spatters, scatters, spurts, finally stops sputtering and splash! gushes rushes splashes clear water dashes. Match the line to its sound A plate being dropped on the floor A balloon being burst A gun being shot Someone eating crisps A light being switched on A fierce dog A small bell being rung TINKLE BANG SMASH GROWL POP CRUNCH CLICK

ALLITERATION Consonant sounds repeated at the beginning of words. Think tongue twisters Consonance The repeating consonant sounds in a line or lines of poetry (can be anywhere in the words) “Silken, sad, uncertain, rustling” If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, how many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick? Assonance The repeating vowel sound in a line or lines of poetry Lake, fate, base, fade (all share the long “a” sound)

REPETITION Using the same word or phrase more than once in a poem. I am the shadow By the classroom wall, I am watching you, And I know it all. Don’t try to run Or hide from me. There isn’t a thing I cannot see. Don’t cheat on a test, Or lie to a friend, I know the truth From beginning to end. And I know it all . . . I’m watching you, Using the same word or phrase more than once in a poem. Does not include pronouns or conjunctions Can sometimes be called the refrain if it’s a stanza that repeats