POETRY NOTES

1. POETRY NOTES We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love…these are what we stay alive for.” -Keating in Dead Poet’s Society

2. BASIC TERMS • Prose: any written text that is not in poetic form • Poetry: art of expressing one’s feelings/thoughts in verse * uses few words to convey its message * meant to be read aloud * 5 different author’s purposes for writing poetry *3 basic elements: rhythm, rhyme, repetition

3. BASIC TERMS • Poet- author of a poem * not every poem has an author • Speaker- narrator or voice of a poem * every poem has a speaker * can be a fictional/non-fictional person, animal

4. BASIC TERMS • Lines- single lines in a poem • Stanza- group of lines in a poem * resembles paragraphs * gives poems structure/organization * new stanzas often represent new ideas Types of Stanzas: *couplet= 2 line stanza * tercet= 3 line stanza *quatrain= 4 line stanza * quintet= 5 line stanza *sestet= 6 line stanza * septet= 7 line stanza * octet= 8 line stanza

5. PRACTICE • “Your World” • Your world is as big as you make it. • I know, for I used to abide • In the narrowest nest in a corner, • My wings pressing close to my side. • But I sighted the distant horizon • Where the sky line encircled the sea • And I throbbed with a burning desire • To travel this immensity. • I battered the cordons around me • And cradled my wings on the breeze • Then soared to the uttermost reaches • With rapture, with power, with ease! • - George Douglas Johnson • How many lines in the above poem? • How many stanzas in the above poem? • What type of stanzas is in the above poem?

6. 3 Elements in Poetry • Rhythm • Rhyme • Repetition

7. RHYTHM • Rhythm- pattern or flow of sound in a poem *gives poetry a lyrical feel Measuring Rhythm: * count the syllables for every word in each line * look for patterns in syllable counts Ex. What’s the rhythm (syllable count) for the following? 1. Union 9th Grade Center 2. Ms. Dodson’s Freshmen English Class 3. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

8. PRACTICE Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, ___ Old time is still a-flying : ___ And this same flower that smiles to-day ___ To-morrow will be dying. ___ The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun, ____ The higher he's a-getting, ____ The sooner will his race be run, ____ And nearer he's to setting. ____ That age is best which is the first, ____ When youth and blood are warmer ; ____ But being spent, the worse, and worst ___  Times still succeed the former. ____ Then be not coy, but use your time, ____ And while ye may go marry : _____ For having lost but once your prime ____ You may for ever tarry. ____ • How many lines? How many stanzas? • What type of stanza is the above poem? • What is the rhythm (syllable count) for the above poem? • Is the rhythm pattern regular or irregular?

9. Rhyme Rhyme- similar repeating sounds within a line(s) of poetry * 3 types of rhyme • Approximate Rhyme- when two words’ sounds are very close to rhyming but not exact a.k.a “Slant Rhyme” Ex. The sounds of the wire Distracted my mind Ex. 2. End Rhyme- rhymes that occur at the end of a line EX: How statue-like I see thee stand The agate lamp within thy hand Ex. 3. Internal Rhyme-rhyming words that fall within a single line of poetry- a.k.a“Middle Rhyme” EX: The feelings of sorrow bring forth the days of tomorrow But never should I remember the depths of December Ex.

10. Rhyme Scheme “Sonnet 65” by William Shakespeare Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea, But sad mortality o'er-sways their power, How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea, Whose action is no stronger than a flower? O, how shall summer's honey breath hold out Against the wreckful siege of battering days, When rocks impregnable are not so stout, Nor gates of steel so strong, but Time decays? O fearful meditation! where, alack, Shall Time's best jewel from Time's chest lie hid? Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back? Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid? O, none, unless this miracle have might, That in black ink my love may still shine bright. pattern or arrangement of rhymes sounds within the words of each line can be regular or irregular in pattern identified by assigning a different letter to the alphabet to each new rhyme adds a lyrical sound to poems

11. REPETITION Repetition- using the same key word, letter, sound, or groups of words throughout a poem Alliteration- repetition of consonant (non- vowel) letters or sounds in two or more words in a line. The repetition must begin the word. * a.k.a “tongue-twisters” Ex. My friend Mandy will perform many new magic tricks. Ex. She rarely sees any of her sisters from the South. Ex.

12. ASSONANCE & CONSONANCE Assonance- repeated VOWEL sounds in a line or lines of poetry • EX. Lake Fate Base Fade • (All share the long “a” sound.) Examples of ASSONANCE: Ex. Slow the low gradual moan came in the snowing. Ex. Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep. Ex. • Consonance- repetition of consonant sounds at the middle or end of words • How are alliteration and consonance similar and different? • Ex. The man in the burgundy cumberbund ended his bland speech with a bow. • Ex. The snake slithered as it lathered soap over itself on the bathroom floor. • Ex.

13. Alliteration, Assonance, Consonance The Baker boys in the band are going to play at the ball. (alliteration) We should leave before we see the film and pay more fees. (assonance) The two friends laughed although they were scared of the roughness of the storm. (consonance)

14. Alliteration, Assonance, Consonance Cara wanted Derek to be crowned the campus football captain of Cedarville College. (alliteration) The young boy who had just been stung by a bee called Doug to ask him to help lug the equipment before the bug returned. (assonance) The coach wanted his team to catch the ball before it fell in the ditch, yet it was fetched by the team that outmatched us. (consonance)

15. ANAPHORA • repetition of a word or group of words at the beginning of lines • It was the best of times,it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…” Ex.

16. POLYSYNDETON • repetition of a conjunction throughout a piece • creates a slower flow/rhythm effect • Conjunctions- BOYSFAN Ex: We all lived and laughed and loved and left. Ex.

17. AYSYNDETON • deliberate omission of conjunctions • speeds up the flow/rhythm of line • opposite of polysyndeton Ex. I came, I saw, I conquered. Ex.

18. OTHER TERMS: ONOMATOPOEIA “The Fourth” by Shel Silverstein Oh CRASH! my BASH! it’s BANG! the ZANG! Fourth WHOOSH! Of BAROOM! July WHEW! use of words that sound like the noises they describe livens up writing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxFz4ckU3AI&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL354E77B72E6A3D7B

19. Pun- How punny is that? • A play on words often meant to be humorous. • Often uses homophones (words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings • Shakespeare’s writing often contains puns Ex: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEH3u2Qz4fc * I work as a baker because I knead dough. *A bank manager without anyone around may find himself a-loan. *A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two-tired. *The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

20. *Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here, I'll go on a-head.' *A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.’ *A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion. *A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering. Ex.

21. OXYMORON • Two or more words that are placed next to each other that are opposite & contradict Ex. * jumbo shrimp * buried alive * Hell’s Angels * clearly confused * act naturally * crash landing * pretty ugly * living dead * Dodge ram * civil war * virtual reality * criminal justice * almost done * cold sweat * blind eye * butt head * awfully good * bright night * bitter sweet * boneless ribs

22. Oxymorons in Poetry One bright morning, in the middle of the night,Two dead soldiers got up to fight.Back to back, they faced each other,Drew their swords and shot each other.A deaf policeman heard the noise,And came and shot those two dead boys.If you don't believe this tale is true,just ask the blind man —He saw it too! Ex.

23. Idiom • An expression (or coded message) that means something other than what it actually says. • If you don’t know or understand the code, you will not get the message. ** Difficult for foreigners to comprehend • Ex.* raining cats and dogs * break a leg * it cost an arm and a leg * having a chip on one’s shoulder * piece of cake * crack someone up * drive someone up a wall * over my dead body Ex.

24. APOSTROPHE • A reference to someone or something that is not present. • The person may be dead or just not there when the lines are spoken. • Purpose: to allow the speaker to express emotion Ex. Juliet speaks to Romeo out loud thinking that he is not near her balcony. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyUptXZOG5w&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLBDE0DEE84714808C * “O Captain, My Captain”- Walt Whitman’s poem Ex.

25. ENJAMBMENT • when one line in a poem continues onto the following line • similar to a “ run on “ in poetry • can sometimes be confusing to the reader Ex. I carry your heart with me . I carry it in my heart. I am never without it. Anywhere I go you go my dear. Whatever is done by only me is your doing my darling. “We Real Cool” The Pool Players. Seven at the Golden Shovel. We real cool. We Left school. We Lurk late. We Strike straight. We Sing sin. We Thin gin. We Jazz June. We Die soon. Ex.

26. EUPHONY • Euphony is derives from Greek meaning "good sound". • Euphony is refers to pleasant spoken sound that is created by smooth consonants such as "ripple'. • Ex. For fair without the fair within to hide Among fresh female buds shall you this night Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; Conspiring with him how to load and bless With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run; Ex:

27. CACOPHONY • Cacophony -is a mix of harsh, displeasing, or clashing sounds. • Sometimes cacophony is accidental, and sometimes it is used intentionally for artistic effect. Ex. Breakers crashed onto jagged rocks and clawed the sands with brutal strikes, pummeling the beach. 'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe Ex.

28. TYPES OF POETRY • Elegy- a poem saying goodbye to someone/something • Limerick – silly, 5 line poem… “There once was a” has the rhyme scheme of aabba • Ode- a poem of praise • Ballad- lyrical poem that tells a story (usually historical) • Haiku- Japanese; 3 lines; 5-7-5 in syllable count • Villanelle- motif of an urgent message/warning; 19 lines; Italian, 5 stanzas with 3 lines; repeated refrain • Sonnet- 14 lines; rhyming couplet at end; Shakespearean or Petrarchan are the two types– often about love

29. AUTHOR’S PURPOSE The poet has a “purpose” when writing a poem. • share/express feelings/emotions • tell a story- (fictional or non-fictional) • be humorous • convey a message to the reader • describe something

30. ANALYZING POETRY • EXPLICATE- analyzing a poem’s meaning and its elements • TPCASTT- technique to analyze a poem T-title P-paraphrase C- connotation A- attitude S-shift T-theme T-title