Introduction to Poetry February 28, 2012
Complete this Type 1 in your yellow journals: BRAINSTORM : What is poetry ? Or What do you already know about poetry ? You will be writing for at least three minutes!
Today’s Agenda: 1.What is poetry? 2.Poetry vs. Prose 3.Strategies to make meaning of poetry
What is poetry? Let’s see what poets say about it…
“Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words.” ~Edgar Allan Poe ~Edgar Allan Poe
“Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” ~Robert Frost
“To see the Summer Sky Is Poetry, though never in a Book it lie - True Poems flee.” ~Emily Dickinson
Prose vs. Poetry FictionNon-fictionDrama
STRUCTURE: STRUCTURE: – Uses sentences arranged in paragraphs. – The first word of each sentence is capitalized. – The first line of each paragraph is indented. CONTENT: Informational, logical, practical CONTENT: Informational, logical, practical STYLE: STYLE: – Straightforward language EXAMPLES: books, magazines, newspaper articles, etc. EXAMPLES: books, magazines, newspaper articles, etc. STRUCTURE: – – Poetry looks unique. Uses stanzas, not paragraphs. Uses lines, not sentences. – – Capitalization and indenting are left up to the author’s desires. CONTENT: Emotional STYLE: – – Word choice is VERY important. – – Poetry is created with figurative language. – – Poetry has a rhythm created by sound devices. EXAMPLES: Poems, books written in verse, and songs.
“Always be a poet, even in prose.” ~Charles Baudelaire
Making Meaning of Poetry
Don't be polite. Bite in. Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice that may run down your chin. It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are. You do not need a knife or fork or spoon or plate or napkin or tablecloth. For there is no core or stem or rind or pit or seed or skin to throw away. How to Eat a Poem by Eve Merriam
Brainstorm Strategies How do you “eat” a poem?
Tonight… Create a list of 10 or more strategies you use for reading poetry.