Imagery

1. Imagery Poetic Devices

2. What is imagery? Imagery is the use of vivid, descriptive language the appeals to one or more of the senses (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste) and internal feelings.

3. Poet of the Day Matsuo Basho 松尾 芭蕉 Born: Matsuo Kinsaku (松尾 金作) 1644, Near Ueno, Iga Province Died: November 28, 1694 (aged 50) Osaka Pen name: Sōbō (宗房), Tōsē (桃青), Bashō (芭蕉) Occupation: Poet Nationality: Japanese Notable work(s): Oku no Hosomichi Basho was a son of a poor samurai farmer. He made a living as a teacher but became famous for his Haiku style of poetry.

4. Discuss To what senses does the poet, Basho, appeal in his poem, Frog Haiku? In other words, when you read the poem, which of your senses are activated?

5. Frog Haiku by Matsuo Basho Furuikeya Kawazutobikomu Mizu no oto At the ancient pond a frog plunges into the sound of water Translated by Sam Hamill 古池 蛙飛び込む 水の音

6. STRUCTURE

7. Structural tools at work: THE LINE • A line of poetry is not like a sentence. How each word is place on each line can mean something. • Example: Like wet cornstarch, I slide past my grandmother’s eyes. Bible at her side, she removes her glasses.

8. Some examples: • Lines in Stanzas • Quatrain • A stanza of four lines • Couplet • A stanza of ____ lines • Sonnet • In general, sonnets have 14 lines. • However, there are many different types of sonnets! • Epic • A long narrative poem

9. Structural tools at work: An example: THE FORM • Sometimes poetry is written in such a way that the simple way it appears on paper affects its meaning. The Journey One day you finally knewwhat you had to do, and began,though the voices around youkept shoutingtheir bad advice --though the whole housebegan to trembleand you felt the old tugat your ankles."Mend my life!"each voice cried.But you didn't stop.You knew what you had to do,though the wind priedwith its stiff fingersat the very foundations,though their melancholywas terrible.It was already lateenough, and a wild night,and the road full of fallenbranches and stones.But little by little,as you left their voices behind,the stars began to burnthrough the sheets of clouds,and there was a new voicewhich you slowlyrecognized as your own,that kept you companyas you strode deeper and deeperinto the world,determined to dothe only thing you could do --determined to savethe only life you could save. 

10. Structural tools at work: Another example: DIAMANTE Day Bright, sunny Laughing, playing, doing Up in the east, down in the west Talking, resting, sleeping Quiet, dark Night

11. Structural tools at work: Another example: HAIKU • a three line poem with 5,7,5 syllables The scent of bacon Wafts through the open window The drool drops quickly.

12. SO! How poetry is structured and formed varies depending on its purpose. Keep that is mind as you write! Your task: • Go back to your writing and see how you can purposefully apply imagery and structure to your poetry. Think about: • What purpose does your poem serve? • What are you trying to convey to your reader? • What is the structure/form of your writing saying? • Either revisit old poetry… • …or create some new!

13. The JourneyOne day you finally knewwhat you had to do, and began,though the voices around youkept shoutingtheir bad advice --though the whole housebegan to trembleand you felt the old tugat your ankles."Mend my life!"each voice cried.But you didn't stop.You knew what you had to do,though the wind priedwith its stiff fingersat the very foundations,though their melancholywas terrible.It was already lateenough, and a wild night,and the road full of fallenbranches and stones.But little by little,as you left their voices behind,the stars began to burnthrough the sheets of clouds,and there was a new voicewhich you slowlyrecognized as your own,that kept you companyas you strode deeper and deeperinto the world,determined to dothe only thing you could do --determined to savethe only life you could save.