1. Introduction to

2. What is Poetry? “a kind of language that says more with less concerned more with experience than information

3. Poetry is therapeutic

4. Poetry is… Basic to human experience One of the most ancient and universal of the arts Associated with that which moves people deeply— pleasure, grief, helplessness… Chinese poetry from a WWII Angel Island Immigration station wall http://www.kqed.org/w/pacificlink/history/angelisland/poetry/

5. Poetry involves An intense, concentrated use of language An emphasis on individual words Intelligence, the senses, emotions, and imagination Reliance upon a number of poetic elements

6. Poetic Elements: Denotation and Connotation Imagery Figurative language Irony Allusion Rhythm and meter Tone Alliteration Assonance Onomatopoeia

7. Serious Poetic Analysis Requires Focused attention Multiple readings Reading aloud to get a sense of rhythm and punctuation cues Use of the dictionary Knowledge of the poetic elements Knowledge about the author

8. When Analyzing Poetry: Do not be intimidated Do not look for a lesson or moral Do not expect poetry to be always beautiful

9. Ancient, yet Alive and Thriving Poetry lives today through chapbooks, poetry associations, contests, Masters of Fine Arts programs, and the Web. Check these sites and others for current poets and their works: http://poetry.about.com/library/weekly/bllaureates.htm http://www.loc.gov/poetry/laureate.html http://www.billy-collins.com/