Theme

Prufrock, Eliot, p. 729 n Find two similies n Find an extended metaphor n Find an example of synecdoche

Response Papers

Theme n The central idea of a literary work stated as a generalization about human experience. n Move back and forth between particular -- diction, figurative language, form and structure-- and general to arrive at theme.

Clampitt and Quality n Is it good? What makes it good? –Dramatic situation? –Diction? –Form and structure? –Metaphor and metonomy? –Meaning? –Is there something more holistic we should consider? What would that be?

Wordsworth, 665 n Vocabulary -- boon? Proteus? Triton? Wreathed? n Why world and not earth in line 1? n Why getting and spending instead of buying and selling in line 2? n Why bares instead of exposes in line 5? n Why sleeping and not dozing in line 7? n Why flowers and not posies in line 7? n Why suckled and not nourished in line 10?

Wordsworth, 665 n Dramatic situation? n What’s the form? Rhyme scheme? n How is the thought divided in the poem? n How does that “Great God!” work? n What’s the theme? n Is it good? What makes it good?

Criticism n We ask if it’s good. If it does what it does well. In order to make this decision, we have to understand how the elements of poetry work and what are the important issues in human life. We have to balance theme and artistry to make judgements about quality.

Two poems n What is the theme of both poems? n Which poem has more poetic merit? n Why?