1. INTRODUCTION TO POETRY Mr. Bailey

2. What is Poetry?

3. This Is Poetry: But thy eternal Summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou growest:

4. This Is Also Poetry: I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox and which you were probably saving for breakfast Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so cold

5. And Even This Is Poetry: Even This Is Poetry

6. Answer: There is no single answer So, What Is Poetry?

7. I. Poetry Defined A. A variety of forms, structures, and styles make a single definition impossible B. Opposite of Prose, which is ordinary speech or writing C. Expressive- representing experiences, ideas, and emotions in heightened language D. D. One of the earliest art forms – comes from Greek poesis meaning “a making”

8. II. Construction of Poetry A. Most poetry is written in stanzas and lines 1. Lines: a grouping of words in a poem (not always a sentence) 2. Stanza: a collection of lines (like a paragraph) B. Most poetry has a regular rhythm called meter 1. A careful counting of syllables in a line 2. The use of stressed and unstressed syllables in a pattern

9. II. Construction of Poetry (continued) C. Most poetry has rhyme 1. The repetition of sounds in two or more words 2. Rhyme scheme is the pattern of which lines rhyme with one another

10. (and here is why defining poetry is so tough) HOWEVER……..

11. II. Construction of Poetry (continued) D. Some Poetry has no regular stanzas, no meter, and no rhyme scheme 1. Free Verse 2. Stream of Consciousness

12. Two Things Almost All Poems Rely On

13. III. Imagery A. All the objects, people, and setting of a poem B. Appeal to any of the five senses

14. IV. Figurative Language A. Figurative Language is the primary device used in poetry B. Opposite of literal language 1. Literal Language: exactly what you mean Ex: “I am very hungry because I have not eaten today.” Ex: “I am very bored.” 2. Figurative Language: language that is always based on some kind of comparison that is not actually true Ex: “I am so hungry I could eat a cow.” Ex: “I am so bored I could die.”

15. IV. Types of Figurative Language A. Simile-a figure of speech that uses like, as, than, or resembles to compare things that have little or nothing in common. Example: “I wandered lonely as a cloud” B. Metaphor-comparison between unlike things without like, as, resembles, or than Example: “My love is a rose.”

16. IV. Types of Figurative Language (continued) 1. Direct metaphor -directly stated metaphor Example: “I am soft sand/ In an hourglass.” (G. Hopkins) 2. Implicit metaphor -implied or suggested metaphor Example: “The drill sergeant barked a command”

17. IV. Types of Figurative Language (continued) C. Personification-attributing human qualities to a nonhuman thing or abstract idea. Examples: Uncle Sam-personification of USA Love personified as chubby infant with a bow and arrow “Thou’rt slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, and dost with poison war and sickness dwell…death, thou shalt die.” -Donne

18. V. Some Common Poetic Devices A. Onomatopoeia: words represent/imitate natural sounds Ex: “Buzz” or “Pop” B. Alliteration: the repetition of sounds in words. Two types. 1. Assonance: repetition of vowel sound example: They say Kool-Aid made Lorraine’s day. 2. Consonance: the repetition of consonant sound example: Mr. Bailey bought the bacon burger

19. VII. How to Read a Poem I want to encourage you to use the S-I-L-T technique S = subject (who is the speaker and what is the poem’s main idea) I = images (what are some pictures the author creates for you) L = language (what types of literary devices and poetic techniques are used) T = theme (what is the poem’s moral or message)

20. “The Two-Headed Calf” by Laura Gilpin Tomorrow, when the farm boys find this freak of nature, they will wrap his body in newspaper and carry him to the museum. But tonight he is alive and in the north field with his mother. It is a perfect summer evening: the moon rising over the orchard, the wind in the grass. And as he stares into the sky, there are twice as many stars as usual.