Transcript What is poetry?

What is poetry?
Poetry is…
• One of the three major types of literature (the
others being prose and drama)
• “Literature that makes use of highly concise,
musical, and emotionally charged language.”
• May “make use of imagery, figurative language,
and special devices of sound such as rhyme.”
• Often divided up into lines and stanzas with
regular rhythms or meters.
From Prentice Hall Literature:
Timeless Voices, Timeless
But really, what is poetry?
Poetry is a picture, painted with words.
The poet is an artist and language is his
color palette. At first glance, the picture
may appear to be random brushstrokes,
but when the eye looks more deeply, it
sees the whole picture as it was meant to
be seen.
Figures of Speech
Figure of speech—word or phrase that makes a
comparison between seemingly unlike things.
He collapsed onto the grass like a half-empty flour sack.
from “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst
You’ll come across figures of speech—or figurative
language—in poetry, in prose, and in everyday speaking
and writing.
Figures of Speech
Figures of speech
• are not literally true
• make imaginative connections
• express meaning in fresh and
original ways
• often act as a kind of shorthand
Figures of Speech
Some figures of speech have become part of our everyday
language. We don’t even think about the fact that they aren’t
literally true.
He didn’t notice how quickly the time
flew by.
My heart leapt at the thought.
She must have gotten tied up in traffic.
His room is a pigsty.
[End of Section]
Simile
Simile—comparison between two unlike things, using a
word such as like, as, than, or resembles.
A lone oak tree stood in the front yard like
an aged but dedicated sentry.
The dew on the leaves glistened as
brilliantly as loose diamonds on silk.
That child’s eyes are warmer than the
summer’s sandy beach.
Simile
Quick Check
My mother has the prettiest tricks
Of words and words and words.
Her talk comes out as smooth and sleek
As breasts of singing birds.
......................
We had not dreamed these things were so
Of sorrow and of mirth.
Her speech is as a thousand eyes
Through which we see the earth.
Identify the two
similes in this
excerpt.
What meaning is
expressed by
each simile?
—from “Songs for my Mother” by Anna
Hempstead Branch
[End of Section]
Metaphor
Metaphor
• comparison between two unlike things in which one
thing becomes the other
• does not use a word such as like or as
The flood waters rose, and the
river became a ravenous
monster. Raging on for hours, it
consumed everything in its sight.
Metaphor
Poets use metaphors to make the reader think about new
ways of seeing things.
• What is the poet trying to say with this metaphor?
My heart it was a floating bird
That through the world did wander free,
But he hath locked it in a cage,
And lost the silver key.
—from “The Prince” by Josephine Dodge Daskam
Metaphor
A direct metaphor directly compares two things using a
verb such as is.
His ideas were a flock of birds in
flight.
An indirect metaphor implies or suggests the
comparison.
His ideas spread their wings and soared freely.
[End of Section]
Metaphor
Quick Check
This computer is a dinosaur.
She stared at me with venomous eyes and
hissed out her reply.
Identify each
metaphor as
either direct or
indirect.
The old motorcycle barked and yipped
before it started up with
a howl.
Today my mind is the wind
blowing across rolling hills.
[End of Section]
Personification
Personification—special kind of metaphor in which
human qualities are given to something that is not
human—an animal, an object, or an idea.
The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright.
—from “The Walrus and the Carpenter” by Lewis Carroll
[End of Section]
Review
Quick Check
Spring caresses the earth and
sky with her warm, delicate hands.
Identify each figure
of speech.
• Simile
• Metaphor
Our friendship is as comfortable
as a pair of flannel pajamas.
• Personification
The old factory had become a heaving,
grunting beast.
[End of Section]
Practice
Figures of speech are widely used. Look
through a newspaper or magazine, including the
advertisements, and gather at least six figures of speech.
Look for examples of similes, metaphors, and
personification.
[End of Section]
“Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll
‘Twas brillig and the slithy toves
did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that
catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”
One, two! One, two! And through and
through
The vorpal blade went snickersnack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
“And has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.
‘Twas brillig and the slithy toves
did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he
sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of
flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
Page 352 of your textbook
Literary Term Interlude
• What is a stanza?
(Hint: Refer to
handout)
• How many stanzas
make up
“Jabberwocky”?
Discussion Questions
• Can you tell what the general idea of the
poem is?
• What clues do you get from the poem as
to the meaning?
• Even though many of these words are not
familiar to you, why can you still get a
general idea? Hint: Think structure.
Important Fact:
• This poem uses
portmanteau words.
• A portmanteau word
is an invented word;
some are formed by
blending two words
into one.
• What two words form
chortled?
• “O frabjous day!”
• What two words might
be blended to form
the word “frabjous”?
Grammar Mini-Lesson
• You can determine
parts of speech for
many of these
portmanteau words
by looking at their
function and position
in the sentence.
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the
wabe;
Parts of speech:
Slithy:
Toves:
Gyre:
Gimble:
Wabe:
Grammar Continued
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
Parts of speech:
Slithy: Adjective (modifies toves)
Toves: Noun (probably an animal)
Gyre: Verb (action done by the toves)
Gimble: Verb (action done by the toves)
Wabe: Noun (probably a place)
FUN ACTIVITY
• Get together in a group of three
• Choose one person to highlight, one
to write, and one to read.
• Highlight the made up words.
• Rewrite the poem on notebook paper
using real words in place of the
portmanteau words.
• Try to make the poem make sense.
• Read your version aloud to the class.
Now that you know a bit more…
• Did everyone have similar “translation”
versions?
• Whose version did you like the best?
• Which parts of the poem are serious?
• Funny?
Create an alphabetical glossary that
defines and illustrates the use of each
invented word in “Jabberwocky.”
This assignment can be found on
page 355 of your textbook.
Poetry Vocabulary List 1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Beguiling- tricking; charming
Desolate-deserted; abandoned
Languid- drooping; weak
Bafflement- puzzlement; bewilderment
Chortled- made a jolly, chuckling sound
Diverged- branched out in different
directions
List One Continued
7. Pallid- pale
8. Depravity- crookedness; corruption
9. Respite- rest; relief
10. Quaint- strange; unusual (in an oldfashioned way)
Some types of poetry
• Lyric
–Sonnet
–Ode
• Narrative
–Ballad
–Epic
•
•
•
•
Haiku
Limerick
Elegy (see handout)
Epigram (see handout)
What is a lyric poem?
• A lyric poem is highly
emotional in nature.
• It expresses the
thoughts and feelings
of the poet
• Lyric poetry has a
musical feel to it and
may resemble a song
Examples from your
book:
“The Eagle,” by Alfred,
Lord Tennyson
(page 796)
Two Types of Lyric Poetry
Ode-Serious and thoughtful with a
precise, formal structure.
Sonnet- 14 lines long, divided into two
groups; English and Italian. (see
handout for terms)
– English- also called Shakespearean,
composed of three quatrains and a final
couplet
– Italian- also called Petrarchan, divided into
two quatrains and a six-line sestet.
Rhythm PowerPoint
“The Road Not Taken,” Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted
wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and
I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference
Questions to Ponder
• This poem is symbolic of a larger topic
than simply walking down the road? What
is that larger topic?
• What is the author’s tone?
– Remember…tone is the author’s attitude
toward his subject
• What has made all the difference?
• What is the rhyme scheme?
Assignment
• Choose a song that you like and either copy it down by
hand or print out the lyrics Make sure your poem
adheres to the following guidelines:
• No obscenities or obscene references (songs with
obscene references will result in a failing grade for this
assignment)
• You should be able to find at least one example of
figurative language such as metaphor, simile,
symbolism, or imagery.
• Write 1 paragraph that details the meaning of the song
and 1 that addresses the literary devices used. (Bonus
points for extra literary devices)
Example:
• “Elephant Love
Medley” from Moulin
Rouge
• Personification
• Metaphor
What is a narrative poem?
• A narrative poem is a
poem that tells a
story, such as Lewis
Carroll’s
“Jabberwocky”
Two Types of Narrative Poetry
Ballads
A ballad is a poem
that tells a story
similar to a folk tale
or legend. Ballads
often have repeated
refrains
Epics
An epic is a long,
serious poem that
tells the story of a
heroic figure. A
famous example of an
epic poem is Homer’s
Odyssey. Stay tuned
for more on work.
Narrative Poem: “The Raven”
• Poet: Edgar
Allan Poe
• Narrative poetry
tells a story.
• Line by line,
summarize the
story told in “The
Raven.”
Page 832
Stanzas 1-4
• What is the narrator
• How does the
doing at the beginning
narrator feel in stanza
of the story?
3?
• What does he hear?
• What does he tell
himself in order to
• What is the time of
calm down?
year?
• What does he do in
• Why is the narrator
stanza 4?
sorrowful?
• Who is Lenore?
Stanzas 5-10
• What word does the
narrator hear upon
opening the door?
• What does he tell
himself that he is
hearing?
• What does he see
when he flings the
shutter open?
• What literary device is
used in line 41?
• What words does Poe
use to create a
suspenseful mood in
stanza 8?
• What word does the
raven continue to
repeat?
Stanzas 11-18
• How does the speaker
rationalize the raven’s
behavior?
• In lines 79-84, what
does the speaker
determine is the raven’s
purpose?
• What sudden change
occurs in Line 85?
• What question is the
speaker asking the
bird?
• What is the raven’s
answer to this
question?
• What does the speaker
want the raven to do in
next to last stanza?
• How does the raven
respond?
• How does the poem
end?
Symbolism
• Write at least two
paragraphs about
what the raven might
symbolize and why
Poe chose the raven
instead of another
bird. Be sure to give
details that support
your answer.
Journal Topic
Write about a time when you have been truly
scared. How did it make you feel? Were you
alone or with someone else? What were the
circumstances? Be as detailed as possible.
Haiku
• A haiku is a Japanese
poem composed of
three unrhymed lines
of five, seven, and
five syllables.
• Haiku often focus on
nature.
• See page 419 of your
textbook for examples
Limericks
• A limerick is a light,
There once was a lady
humorous poem of
from Niger
five lines with a rhyme Who smiled as she rode
scheme of aabba.
on a tiger
• Limericks usually
They returned from the
have a specific
ride
rhythmic pattern
With the lady inside
And the smile on the
face of the tiger
Other Examples of Limericks
It’s a classical poetry form
In which rhythm and rhyme must conform
but it gets no respect
which you’d clearly expect
Unless it decides to reform.
Your Turn
Literary Devices
• “Dream Deferred” (pg 798)
• Simile, imagery
• “Dreams”
• Metaphor
(pg 799)
• “Summer” (pg 815)
• Onomatopoeia
• “I Wandered Lonely
As a Cloud”
• Personification