1. RE-CAP

2. Poetic Devices Brainstorm
Copy and complete the brainstorm with what you know about poetic devices.
Poetic Devices Brainstorm

3. Subject Matter VS Theme
Ask Yourself:
What event, situation or experience does the poem describe? (Subject Matter)
What is the poet’s purpose in writing this poem? What message does the poet want to communicate? (Theme)
Ways of expressing your thoughts:
The poem describes/gives a description of…
The poem records…
The poem deals with…
The central idea of the poem is…
The poet expresses his/her feelings about…

4. Mood / Atmosphere What is the main emotion or mood of the poem?
Does the mood change during the poem?
What emotions or feelings does the poet seek to evoke in the reader?
The poem is (adjective) and (adjective)…
The mood changes during the poem. At first it is __________, then becomes _____________. This is evident when…
The poet seeks to make the reader feel (adjective), through ….
The poet seeks to/attempts to evoke in the reader a feeling of (noun), by/through…
Adjectives: gentle, nostalgic, sad, wistful, joyful, serene, violent, angry, etc
Nouns: sadness, joy, anger, triumph, etc.

5. Poetic Devices
For each of the following poetic devices, write a definition AND a short poem (one stanza/Haiku/Limerick/etc…) that shows how to use it.
You may choose to write a minimum of four (4) poems
that use multiple devices. Make sure you MARK on
the poem which devices you have used and where you
have used them.
Rhyme
Alliteration
Rhythm
Assonance
Free Verse
Repetition
Simile
Onomatopoeia
Metaphor
Oxymoron
Personification

6. Individual Activity
Read “The Listeners” as a class and discuss briefly.
Identify and highlight the poetic devices used throughout the poem.
A poem is sometimes great because of what it DOESN’T say as well as what it does. List are some of the things “The Listeners” doesn’t tell you.
Create 2 ideas you can think of to explain who the Traveller might be and why he may have come to the “Lone House”? Justify your ideas by referencing the poem.
What does the poem tell you about the horse, and how does he contrast with the rider? What might he stand for in the poem?
Describe the mood of the poem. Explain how the contrast between horse and rider helps create this mood.
Choose 3 examples of different poetic devices being used and explain the impact they have on the theme and mood of the poem.