Introduction to Poetry “Richard Cory” By Edwin Arlington Robinson

Whenever Richard Cory went down town, We people on the pavement looked at him: He was a gentleman from sole to crown, Clean favored, and imperially slim. Characterize Richard Cory. Use specific examples (words) from the text. Give a one sentence prediction for how the rest of the poem will unfold.

And he was always quietly arrayed, And he was always human when he talked;  But still he fluttered pulses when he said, 'Good-morning,' and he glittered when he walked. What new information do we learn about Richard Cory? Use specific examples (words) from the text. Give a one sentence prediction for how the rest of the poem will unfold.

And he was rich - yes, richer than a king - And admirably schooled in every grace: In fine, we thought that he was everything To make us wish that we were in his place. How does the poet feel about Richard Cory? What type of person does he appear to be? Use specific examples (words) from the text. Give a one sentence prediction for how the rest of the poem will unfold.

So on we worked, and waited for the light, And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;  And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, Went home and put a bullet through his head.  How does Richard Cory turn out to be different than what the poet thought? Use specific examples (words) from the text. Write a 3 sentence reflection on the end of the poem.

Why Study Poetry? Powerful artistic medium. Gives us ability to see within ourselves and others. A world of emotions, ideas, and beauty in a small package for us to unwrap. Pass this class and move onto English II.

Each half has its own function The Human Brain Divided into 2 parts Each half has its own function Right Brain: Creativity Emotions Left Brain: Logic Reality

To clarify . . . When you are looking at big puffy clouds . . . Your right brain tells you, “Hey! That one looks like a bunny.” While your left brain tells you . . .

It’s a cloud, Stupid!

So, which half do you use when studying poetry? Here are a few hints: Poetry requires creativity Poetry requires emotion Poetry requires an artistic quality Poetry requires logic Survey says . . .

both

Poetry Engages Your Entire Brain It’s basically one of the best workouts your mind can have. It is a rewarding experience to figure out a poem, and you can do it for the rest of your life. As we’ll show, there are many poems for anybody based on their interests.

IN POETRY, EVERY WORD COUNTS! We need to pay attention to the connotations of each and every word. We also need to pay attention to where the words are in a poem. We need to think about what a poem sounds like when we read it.

Poetry Basics A poem is broken down into stanzas and lines. Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me; The carriage held but just ourselves And Immortality. We slowly drove, he knew no haste,  And I had put away My labor, and my leisure too, For his civility. Emily Dickinson LINE LINE STANZA LINE LINE STANZA

Poetry is meant to be heard. Sundays too my father got up early and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold, then with cracked hands that ached from labor in the weekday weather made banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him. I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking. When the rooms were warm, he’d call, and slowly I would rise and dress, fearing the chronic angers of that house, Speaking indifferently to him, who had driven out the cold and polished my good shoes as well. What did I know, what did I know of love’s austere and lonely offices? Robert Hayden http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksIJR08z35I While you listen, write 3 sentences describing the tone of the poem. How is it different when reading vs. listening? Why is this so?

Examples of Poetry: Songs, Raps, Advertisements, Epic poems, Haikus, Limericks, Found poems, Pretty Much Anything if You Look at It a Certain Way!

Found Poetry! Found poems take existing texts and refashion them, reorder them, and present them as poems. Let’s make our own! Underline the key words, phrases, or sentences. Think about how you can put them on paper to make them seem more important.