Analyzing Poetic Themes: A Comprehensive Guide

1. Useful Interesting Memorable

2. Time for a new approach

3. Going to highlight everything you can use to talk about the theme of a poem. By the end of the class, you shall be able to discuss the theme of any poem in great detail.

4. Unseen Poetry 3

5.  1. A poet becomes obsessed with an emotional concept to the point where he or she must write it down.  2. A poet creates a device which shall reproduce this emotional concept in others.  3. A reader encounters the device and becomes aware of the concept. That concept is the theme of the poem.

7.  S.p.i.t.s  S.  P.  I. S.p.i.t.s. . S. – Subject Matter P. – Purpose or Message I. – Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling  T.  S. T. – Technique S. – Summary

8. What is the poem about? What is the story, the setting, the event as you see it? The title of a poem gives clues about the theme.

9. A Room in the Past Nettles A Sentimental Moment

10.  Why did the poet write the poem?  Is the poet trying to tell you something or convince you of something?  The answer can be derived from the last line or stanza usually.

11.  “turning her back on the rest of us, forever”.  “My son would often feel sharp wounds again”.  “I sometimes start to reach for his hand”

12.  Is there a strong feeling in this poem?  How does it make the reader feel?  If you do not see a word you can associate with a feeling, look at the verbs and act them out.

13. “A kitchen falling through time” “Slashed in fury” or “feel sharp wounds again” “He doesn’t know”

14.  Structure, Language, Imagery, Movement.  S.L.I.M.  How the poem looks, sounds, thinks and moves all reveal the theme.

15. A Sentimental Moment  There are stanzas - There is order.  Language – what words or letters repeat  Image of the son – age.  No full stop at end of first stanza – confusion.

16. What is the impact of the whole poem for you? What do you think?

17.  Margaret Walker is an African-American poet. In this poem she celebrates experiences of the African Americans.  Two of the three poems you have done so far have had introductions such as this.

18. I Want to Write I Want to Write I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob throats I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob- -torn throats torn I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn.

19. I Want to Write I Want to Write – – S. I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob throats S. I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob- -torn throats torn I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn.

20. I Want to Write I Want to Write – – S. I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob throats S. I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob- -torn throats torn I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - - P. P.

21. I Want to Write I Want to Write – – S. I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob throats S. I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob- -torn throats torn sob i i. . sob- -torn torn I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - - P. P.

22. I Want to Write I Want to Write – – S. I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob throats S. I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob- -torn throats torn sob i i. . sob- -torn torn I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. i i. . sunshine laughter I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - - P. P. sunshine laughter

23. I Want to Write I Want to Write – – S. I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob throats S. I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob- -torn throats singing singing torn sob i i. . sob- -torn torn I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. i i. . sunshine laughter I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - - P. P. sunshine laughter fill crush fill crush

24. I Want to Write I Want to Write – – S. I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob throats S. I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob- -torn throats singing singing torn sob i i. . T. sob- -torn torn T. I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. i i. . sunshine laughter T. T. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - - P. P. sunshine laughter fill crush fill crush

25. I Want to Write I Want to Write – – S. I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob throats S. I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob- -torn throats Songs Songs singing singing torn sob i i. . T. sob- -torn torn strains strains T. souls souls I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. i i. . sunshine laughter T. T. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - - P. P. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. sunshine laughter sky sky fill crush fill crush stars such stars such

26. I Want to Write I Want to Write – – S. I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob throats S. I want to write I want to write the songs of my people. I want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. I want to catch the last floating strains from their sob- -torn throats Songs Songs singing singing torn catch the last floating strains catch the last floating strains sob i i. . T. sob- -torn torn throats throats T. frame their dreams into words frame their dreams into words souls souls I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. i i. . sunshine laughter Dark hands to a darker sky I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. T. T. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - - P. P. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. sunshine laughter Dark hands to a darker sky sky sky fill crush fill crush stars such stars such

27. I Want to Write I Want to Write – – S. S. Songs Songs singing singing catch the last floating strains catch the last floating strains sob i i. . sob- -torn torn strains strains throats throats frame their dreams into words frame their dreams into words souls souls i i. . sunshine laughter sunshine laughter Dark hands to a darker sky Dark hands to a darker sky fill crush fill crush stars such stars such a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - - P. P. a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn.

28. I Want to Write I Want to Write – – Subject Subject a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - - Purpose Purpose sob i i. . fill sob- -torn torn i i. . sunshine laughter crush sunshine laughter crush identify emotions identify emotions fill singing singing Two stanza Two stanza – – order, sense, structure order, sense, structure Techniques Techniques Songs Songs singing singing stars stars souls souls such such sob- -torn throats sob torn throats catch the last floating strains frame their dreams into words Dark hands to a darker sky catch the last floating strains frame their dreams into words Dark hands to a darker sky

29. Your opinion is always important. A quick summary of the poem and its effect on you is always welcome.

30. The poet Rosita Boland reflects on the tragedy of the war-torn region in our world

31.  Subject Matter  Purpose or Message  Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling  Technique  Summary

32. Butterflies In Bosnia, there are landmines Decorated with butterflies And left on the grassy pathways Of rural villages. The children come, quivering down Familiar lanes & fields. Hands outstretched, they reach triumphant For these bright, elusive insects - Themselves becoming wingéd in the act; Gaudy and ephemeral. (Gaudy – loud or noisy) (Ephemeral –lasts a short amount of time) (hint – landmine)

33. Butterflies In Bosnia, there are landmines Decorated with butterflies And left on the grassy pathways Of rural villages. Butterflies Butterflies – – S S landmine landmines s T T Decorated with butterflie left Decorated with butterflies s left T T The children come, quivering down Familiar lanes & fields. Hands outstretched, they reach triumphant For these bright, elusive insects - Themselves becoming wingéd in the act; Gaudy and ephemeral. quivering quivering i i T T Outstretched Bright, elusive insects Becoming Gaudy and ephemeral Outstretched Bright, elusive insects Becoming wingéd Gaudy and ephemeral – – P P triumphant triumphant i i T T wingéd in the act T T in the act i i (Gaudy – loud or noisy) (Ephemeral –lasts a short amount of time) (hint – landmine)

34.  Subject Matter  Purpose or Message  Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling  Technique  Summary

35.  Subject Matter – Butterflies – link to the rest  Purpose or Message  Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling  Technique  Summary

36.  Subject Matter – Butterflies – link to the rest  Purpose or Message - Becoming wingéd in the act, Gaudy and ephemeral  Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling  Technique  Summary

37.  Subject Matter – Butterflies – link to the rest  Purpose or Message - Becoming wingéd in the act, Gaudy and ephemeral  Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling - quivering  Technique –  Summary –

38.  Subject Matter – Butterflies – link to the rest  Purpose or Message - Becoming wingéd in the act, Gaudy and ephemeral  Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling - quivering  Technique – image of landmine and wings  Summary –

39.  Subject Matter – Butterflies – link to the rest  Purpose or Message - Becoming wingéd in the act, Gaudy and ephemeral  Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling - quivering  Technique – image of landmine and wings  Summary – landmines kill children

40. Child Of Our Time Yesterday I knew no lullaby But you have taught me overnight to order This song, which takes from your final cry Its tune, from your unreasoned end its reason; Its rhythm from the discord of your murder, Its motive from the fact you cannot listen. We who should have known how to instruct With rhymes for your waking, rhythms for your sleep Names for the animals you took to bed, Tales to distract, legends to protect, Later an idiom for you to keep And living, learn, must learn from you, dead. To make our broken images rebuild Themselves around your limbs, your broken Image, find for your sake whose life our idle Talk has cost, a new language. Child Of our time, our times have robbed your cradle. Sleep in a world your final sleep has woken.

41. Discuss the theme of the poem. Use s.p.i.t.s.