Delving Into Poetry Word Choice Word Choice Poets

Delving Into Poetry Word Choice

Word Choice • Poets must be keenly aware of their diction or choice of words. • Because the words function in a compressed atmosphere, the words in a poem must convey meanings gracefully and economically.

Word Choice • Poets have to decide in determining how they want to get there message across if they are going to use poetic diction, formal diction, or informal diction. • Poetic diction is very elevated language. Most poets today have eliminated this style. • Formal diction is a dignified, impersonal, and elevated use of language. • Informal diction consists of everyday language and might include colloquialism (slang that pertains to a small group), dialect(spoken by definable groups of people in a particular geographic region, economic group or social class) or jargon(a category of language defined by a trade or profession).

Word Choice • Individual words convey meaning through denotation and connotation. • Denotations are the literal, dictionary meanings of a word. • Connotations are derived from how the word has been used and the association and implications that go beyond a word’s literal meaning.

Word Choice • What is the denotation of the word crab? • What is the connotation of the word crab? • What is the denotation of the word scrub? • What is the connotation of the word scrub?

Word Choice • Think of examples of words that have both connotative and denotative meanings. • Jot down at least three examples. Be prepared to share your examples.

Word Choice • Read the poem “Fish” • What are your first thoughts when reading the poem? What things stand out to you? • How does the poem make you feel? • What does the author do to evoke his emotions. Are all the images in the poem beautiful or ugly? Explain

Word Choice • Examine the rich imagery in the poem and also the language the author uses. Underline words that allow you to “see, feel, taste, hear, or smell” the fish. • How does word choice make a difference? Looking at the words you underlined, how do these words make a difference? What would happen to the poem’s meaning if certain words were omitted? • Practice reading the poem without the words you underlined.

Homework • Develop a list of 10 words that you deem at particularly beautiful or ugly, or evoke interesting sounds. • Consider your word choices carefully as you will be asked to use them in creating a poem.

Playing With Words • Some people will argue that it is not what you say, but how you say it. In poetry this statement rings true. • The use of words are powerful in conveying meaning, creating images and sounds. It is through the words that the story comes to life. • Consider the poem “Fish”. Without the use of key words, the poem becomes a story about an old fish. But through the use of the descriptive words, the reader is able to sympathize with the fish, and come to see how one’s struggle is his strength and beauty.

Exploring Poetry and Word Choice • You will be given a set of poems writing by different poets and addressing different topics. The one thing the poems have in common is the use of key words. • Read each poem, one at a time, and highlight the words you believe “make” the poem. These should be words that allow the reader to see, hear, taste, smell or feel what the author is describing.

Creating Poetry • For many, the idea of writing a poem is terrifying while others can write two poems in the amount of time it might take others to write one. • Often the hesitancy in writing poetry is thinking it has to follow a certain pattern. • Today, you want to explore the power of words, and how the words can be used to create poetry.

How can I express myself through poetry…do I dare? • Using the words you identified for homework, try to express some aspect of self by building sentences using the word. • It might be helpful in starting if you respond to any of the following statements (suggestions only): • Looking in the mirror I see… • I am fourteen and… • I am… • When I think about… • Create as many sentences as you can using the words you chose; you must have at least ten sentences. .

Finishing the Poem • After developing the sentences, explore how the sentences might come together to tell your story. Consider placement of sentences, and ways to join the sentences. • Don’t be afraid to go back and add to the poem or change it in some way. This might include you changing some of your chosen words. • Be prepared to share the final product

My Expression of Self • Magical, birth, perception, love, obstacle, myriad, magnolia, excessive, spiritual, faith, stagnant. • Looking in the mirror I see magnolias. • Looking in the mirror I see the birth of a new phase in life. • When I was 14, I thought the world was magical. • There were a myriad of things that impacted my perception of self. • The disappoints in life were not excessive. • There were times when I questioned my spirituality. • My faith keeps me from being stagnant. • The love of family makes me strong. • There is no obstacle I can’t overcome.

My Expression of Self Looking in the mirror I see the birth of a new phase in life. I find that I am coming into myself, opening up like the blossom of a magnolia tree-day by day, year by year, I become fully myself. When I was 14, I thought the world was magical But over time there were a myriad of life events that changed that perception. The disappointments were not excessive, but impactful never-the-less. At times, I questioned my spirituality But my faith kept me from becoming stagnant, And the love of my family made me stronger. As I blossom in life, and reach my fullness, I know there is no obstacle that can stop me.

Poetry in Pictures…or the Pictures in Poetry • While many poets draw inspiration from writing about self, many others focus on art and the beauty around them. • Through examining the art piece for its imagery, symbolism, mood, and conflict the poet is able to create poetry known as Ekprastic. • Ekphrastic poetry is the use of art to create poetry. The poetry comes from the dialogue you are having with the image.

Poetry in Pictures • Using the art books on the cart or images from the following two sites, choose art that speaks to you, and respond to the questions on imagery, symbolism, mood, and conflict. • www. artic. edu/aic/collections • www. metmuseum. org • www. si. edu/collections • After completing the analysis, choose one of the images, or you may choose another, to write an Ekphrastic poem. • Homework: Complete the writing of your poem, and include the image on the sheet; bring to class Monday for discussion.

Assonance • the repetition of vowel sounds within words.

Consonance • the close repetition of consonant sounds at the ends of words or syllables.

Alliteration • the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words or syllables.