Elements of Poetry

1. Elements of Poetry

2. Speaker • Each poem has a speaker. • Like a narrator, the speaker is not necessarily the poet. • It can be a fictional person, an animal, or even a thing. • “But believe me, son. I want to be what I used to be when I was like you.” - “Once Upon a Time” by Gabriel Okara

3. Lines and Stanzas • Line – word or row of words that may or may not form a complete sentence • Stanza – a group of lines forming a unit. The stanzas in a poem are separated by a space. • “Open it. Go ahead, it won’t bite. Well…. Maybe a little.” “The First Book” by Rita Dove

4. Rhythm and Meter • Rhythm is the pattern of sound created by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line. It can be regular but doesn’t have to be. • Meter is a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, which sets the overall rhythm for most poems. • “Man and boy stood cheering by, And home we brought you shoulder-high. “To an Athlete Dying Young” by A.E. Housman

5. Rhyme • Rhyme is the repetition of the same stressed vowel sound in two or more words. • Internal rhyme – occurs within a line of poetry. • End rhyme – occurs at the ends of lines. • Rhyme scheme – the pattern of the end rhymes designated by assigning a different letter of the alphabet to each new rhyme.

6. Other Sound Devices • Alliteration – the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. • Assonance – the repetition of vowel sounds within a line of poetry. • Consonance – the repetition of consonant sounds at the end of words. Like a pair of thick socks. In the streamer is the trout seasoned with slivers of ginger. The stars never rise but I see the bright eyes.

7. Types of poetry • Narrative – tells a story • Lyric – expresses the personal thoughts and feelings of the speaker. • Dramatic – has one or more characters who speak to other characters, to themselves, or to the reader.