Poetry What is Poetry Poetry is language that

Poetry

What is Poetry?

Poetry is language that says more than ordinary language and says it with fewer words and in less space. Like other writers poets choose words for their sense, but they also choose words for what they hint at or suggest, for the way they sound, and for the word pictures they create. Ordinary language makes sense. Poetry makes sense-and sound, and rhythm and music, and vision.

Poetry Elements and Vocabulary

Types of Poetry

Lyric Poetry A highly musical verse that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker.

Narrative Poetry A type of poetry that has a plot and tells a story. The poems that make up this genre may be short or long, and the story it relates to may be simple or complex

Types of Poems Haiku Diamante Cinquain Concrete Sonnet

Haiku A Japanese verse in three lines Line one: 5 syllables Line two: 7 syllables Line three: 5 syllables

Water slaps the shore Against the white crystal sand Under a hot sun

Diamante is Italian for diamond The poem takes the form of a diamond when complete Two patterns: Pattern 1: develops one topic Pattern 2: starts out with one theme and in the middle begins to move toward an opposite theme.

Pattern 1 Line 1: Choose a topic (noun) Line 2: use two adjectives to describe noun Line 3: Use three verbs to describe noun Line 4: Use a four-word phrase capturing some feeling about the topic Line 5: Use three verbs Line 6: Use two adjectives Line 7: use a synonym for your original word

Pattern 1 example Star Famous, successful, Singing, dancing, shouting Mesmerizing the adoring audience Performing, working, reaching Frenzied, dazzling Showman

Pattern 2 Line 1: Choose a topic (noun) Line 2: use two adjectives to describe noun Line 3: Use three verbs to describe noun Line 4: Use two words to express the noun, then two words for the antonym you will use at the end. The theme changes in this line! Line 5: Use three verbs to describe the ending noun Line 6: Use two adjectives to describe the ending noun Line 7: use a antonym for your original word

Pattern 2 example Day Bright, Sunny Raining, Shining, Heating Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Bedtime Darkening, Cooling, Scaring Dark, Cold Night

Cinquain A five line poem that does not rhyme Format: Line 1: Topic (2 syllable word or words) Line 2: 4 syllables describing topic Line 3: 6 syllables expressing action Line 4: 8 syllables expressing feeling Line 5: 2 syllables –a synonym for the topic

Cinquain Creature (2 syllables) From outer space (4 syllables) What ship carried you here? (6 syllables) Are you in search of peace or war? (8 syllables) Stranger (2 syllables)

Concrete Poem A poem whose visual appearance matches the topic of the poem The words are in the shape of the topic

Concrete Poem

Sonnet 14 lines, broken into four sections called quatrains Strict rhyme scheme: ABAB/CDCD/EFEF/GG Written in iambic pentameter—a poetic meter with 10 beats per line made up of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables

Sonnet First quatrain: establishes subject of sonnet 4 lines; rhyme scheme: ABAB Second quatrain: develops the sonnet’s theme 4 lines; rhyme scheme: CDCD Third quatrain: should round off sonnet’s theme 4 lines; rhyme scheme: EFEF Fourth quatrain: conclusion to sonnet 2 lines; rhyme scheme: GG

Sonnet example

Soliloquy A speech delivered by a character in a play or other literature while alone, or an utterance by a person who is talking to him/herself, disregardful or oblivious to any hearers present. Frequently used to disclose a character’s innermost feeling (thoughts, state of mind, motives, and intentions) or to provide information needed by the audience or reader.

Soliloquy Not the same as monologue or aside Monologue and soliloquy are both speeches Monologue is usually in presence of other characters; Soliloquy the character speaks to himself, keeping thoughts secret from the other characters An aside is a short comment by a character towards the audience for another character, usually without his knowing about it.

Soliloquy example “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse they name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Capulet. ” Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Here, Juliet was thinking aloud in a soliloquy about the feud between her family and Romeo’s. She is expressing her hopelessness about their love. In the play, few characters know about this relationship so her feelings are expressed through soliloquy.

Parts of a Poem

Stanza A grouping of two or more lines of a poem in terms of length, metrical form or rhyme scheme. EX: Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly

Rhyme Words that have the same ending sounds. EX: The tiny bird in the tree Was singing just for me

The meter of a poem is its rhythmical pattern

RHYTHM The beat created by the sounds of the words in a poem Rhythm can be created by meter, rhyme, alliteration and refrain.

Rhyme Scheme The sequence in which the rhyme occurs. The first end sound is represented as the letter “a, ” the second is “b, ” etc. EX: Cats love fish a dogs love bones b pigs love mud c and kids love cones b

Verse A line of a poem or group of lines within a long poem. EX: Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly

Couplet Two lines at the end of a poem. Can be rhyming. EX: : Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow So keep dreams near And you’ll have nothing to fear

Poetic Elements

Simile A figure of speech which involves a direct comparison between two unlike things, usually with the words like or as. Example: The muscles on his brawny arms are strong as iron bands.

Metaphor A figure of speech in which something is described as though it were something else I am a rainbow

Personification A figure of speech in which objects are given human qualities. EX: The sun played peek-a-boo with the clouds.

Onomatopoeia The use of words that mimic sounds. Example: The firecracker made a loud ka-boom!

Hyperbole An exaggerated statement used to heighten effect. It is not used to mislead the reader, but to emphasize a point. Example: She’s said so on several million occasions.

Alliteration Repeated consonant sounds occurring at the beginning of words or within words. Example: She was wide-eyed and wondering while she waited for Walter to waken.

Imagery Language that appeals to the senses. Descriptions of people or objects stated in terms of our senses. • Sight • Hearing • Touch • Taste • Smell

Allusion comes from the verb “allude” which means “to refer to” An allusion is a reference to something famous. EX: “Chocolate was her Achilles’ heel. ” This means that her weakness was her love of chocolate. Achilles is a character in Greek mythology who was invincible. His mother dipped him in magical water when he was a baby, and she held him by the heel. The magic protected him all over, except for his heel.

Assonance Repeated VOWEL sounds in a line or lines of poetry. (Often creates near rhyme. ) Lake Fate Base Fade (All share the long “a” sound. ) EX: Slow the low gradual moan came in the snowing

Theme The message that the author is trying to convey.