*
• Poetry is literature in verse form,
a controlled arrangement of lines
and stanzas.
• Poems use concise, musical, and
emotionally charged language to
express multiple layers of
meaning.
• The word poetry is derived from
the Greek poiesis, meaning a
“making” or “creating.” It is a
form of art in which language is
used.
Figurative Language
Language that is used
imaginatively, rather than
literally, to express ideas
or feelings in new ways.
Figures of Speech
Similes: compares one thing to
another and uses the words “like” or
“as.”
Metaphors: an implied comparison
made between two unlike things.
Personification: giving human traits
(qualities, feelings, action, or
characteristics) to non-human
objects.
Allusion: an allusion is the casual
reference to a figure or event in
history or literature that creates a
mental image in the mind of the
reader.
Symbolism: the use of one object
(a symbol) to represent or suggest
something else.
Imagery: Descriptive language that
creates vivid impressions. These
impressions, or images, are developed
through sensory language, which
provides details related to sight,
sound, taste, touch, smell, and
movement.
Theme: the message of the poem
Tone: the manner in which a poet
makes his statement; it reflects his
attitude toward his subject. The reader
must learn to "hear" their tones with
his mind's ear.
Rhythm the pattern created by stressed
and unstressed syllables of words in
sequence. A pattern of rhythm is called
meter.
Rhyme is the repetition of identical
sounds in the last syllables of words. A
pattern of rhyme at the ends of lines is a
rhyme scheme.
Alliteration or initial rhyme, is the
repetition of the initial consonant sounds
of words, as in light and lemon.
Assonance or vowel rhyme, is the
repetition of vowel sounds in
nearby words, as in the words date
and fade.
Consonance the repetition of
consonants within nearby words in
which the preceding vowels differ,
as in the words milk and walk.
There are three main types of poetry.
Narrative poetry tells a story with a
plot, characters, and a setting.
•Epic is a long narrative poem
about the feats of gods or
heroes.
•Ballad is a songlike narrative
with stanzas and a refrain.
Dramatic poetry tells a story
using a character’s own
thoughts or spoken statement.
Lyric poems express the feelings
of a single speaker.
*Lyrics are the most common type
of poem in modern literature.
Poems can also be categorized by
structure, or form. Poetic structures
are defined by patterns of line and
stanza length, rhythm, and rhyme.
Some examples are:
Haiku is a verse form with three
unrhymed lines of five, seven, and
five syllables.
Free verse poems have neither a set
pattern of rhythm or rhyme.
Carpe diem is a Latin expression that
means "seize the day." Carpe diem
poems have the theme of living for
today.
Acrostic Poem tells about the word. It
uses the letters of the word for the first
letter of each line.
Imagery Poems draw the reader into
poetic experiences by touching on the
images and senses which the reader
already knows.
Analyzing Poetry
Analysis means literally picking a
poem apart - looking at elements such
as imagery,symbolism, allusion,
metaphor, poetic language, rhyme
scheme, and so on - in order to see
how they all work together to produce
the poem's meaning.
Annotating is a great way to begin
analyzing a poem.
Annotating a Poem
Annotation is the act of adding notes.
STEP UP:
S: Subject Matter – What is the poem about? Look at
the title.
T: Theme – What is the message of the poem?
E: Emotions – Tone? Mood?
P: Poetic Devices – Look for figurative language and
sound devices.
U: Your response – What do you think?
P: Positioning – look at the graphic elements in the
poem