Elements of Poetry Theme n Theme is the

Elements of Poetry

Theme n Theme is the message about life or human nature that is communicated by a literary work. IDENTIFYING KEY ELEMENTS IN A POEM Subject Theme Imagery Language (simple – difficult) Tone (mood) Structure (arrangement of ideas)

Page 188 Form The way a poem looks-or its arrangement on the page-is its form n Poets deliberately choose the form they wish their poems to take an may even space the words and letters in a poem to create a special arrangement n Basically, it’s the way the poem looks and can affect the sound by creating a rhythm. n

Lines and Stanzas Poetry is written in lines, which may or may not be sentences. n Sometimes the lines are combined into groups called stanzas or verses. n The number of lines in a poem’s stanzas can be the same or can vary. n While some poems have a formal structure, others are written in a more conversational style called free verse. n

“The Fire of Driftwood” By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow We spake of many a vanished scene, Line Of what we once had thought and said, Of what had been, and might have been, And who was changed, and who was dead; And all that fills the hearts of friends, When first they feel, with secret pain, Their lives thenceforth have separate ends, And never can be one again. Stanza / verse

Speaker n The speaker of a poem is the voice that the reader hears relating the ideas or story of the poem n Look at “London” by William Blake. Who is speaking?

Sound Rhyme is the repetition of sounds at the ends of words such as shell and well. ﺍﻟﻘﺎﻓﻴﺔ n Internal Rhyme is the use of rhyming words within a line. ﺍﻟﻘﺎﻓﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﺪﺍﺧﻠﻴﺔ n End Rhyme is the use of rhymes at the end of lines. ﺗﺬﻳﻴﻞ n

Sound (continued) n The repeating of sounds, words, phrases or lines is repetition. The

Sound (continued) Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. ﺟﻨﺎﺱ n Listen to the repetition of sounds in “then no one knows your name” n

Sound (continued) Onomatopoeia is the use of words whose sounds suggest their meanings, like buzz, pop, and click. ﺍﻟﻤﺤﺎﻛﺎﺓ ﺍﻟﺼﻮﺗﻴﺔ n Assonance the repetition of vowel sounds in words that don’t end with the same consonant. ﺳﺠﻊ n n Such as the ow in bow and down

Imagery refers to words and phrases that appeal to the five senses n Poets use imagery to create a picture in the reader’s mind or to remind the reader of a familiar sensation n

Figurative Language Figurative language conveys a meaning beyond the ordinary, literal meaning n Example: “I’m all ears” n Literal meaning is that the speaker is made of ears. n The figurative meaning is that the speaker is ready to listen. n

Figurative Language (cont. ) n When a poet describes an animal or object as if it were human or had human qualities, that is personification. ﺗﺠﺴﻴﺪ They that had fought so well Came thro’ the jaws of Death, Back from the mouth of Hell, All that was left of them, Left of six hundred. Where’s the personification?

Simile ﺗﺸﺒﻴﻪ A comparison that uses the word like or as. n Example: “His hair is like dry hay” n “My luve is like a red, red rose” n

Metaphor ﺍﺳﺘﻌﺎﺭﺓ A comparison that does not use like or as. n Example: “He was eager to help but his legs were rubber” n