Mexican poet Octavio Paz believes that
“the poem is an original and unique
creation, but it is also reading and
recitation: participation.” Paz’s point is that
poetry is meant to be read, understood,
and enjoyed. Literary elements such as
figurative language, rhyme, and rhythm
help us to enjoy a poem.
Who is the narrator in short stories or nonfiction?
The speaker in poetry is the voice that
communicates with the reader.
The author and the narrator are not the same.
Organization
Structure - the organization of images, ideas,
and words.
Stanzas—how poets organize the ideas in the
poems; the “paragraphs” of poetry.
Lines – what each stanza is made up of; rows
of words that may or may not form sentences.
Form - the external pattern of a poem, often
dictates such elements as rhythm, meter, and
rhyme.
Rhythm and Meter
Rhythm - the pattern of stressed and
unstressed syllables in a line of poetry. A
poem’s rhythm can be regular or irregular.
Foot – the basic unit of stressed and
unstressed syllables
Iamb - a foot that contains an unstressed
syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
Rhythm and Meter
Meter is the regular pattern of stressed and
unstressed syllables that can establish the
rhythm of a poem.
Types of Meter
Trimeter – 3 feet
Tetrameter – 4 feet
Pentameter – 5 feet
Rhyme
Rhyme is the repetition of the same stressed vowel
sounds and any succeeding sounds in two or more
words. For example, stop rhymes with drop.
Internal rhyme occurs when two words in the same
line rhyme.
End rhyme occurs at the end of lines. In this
passage, the end rhymes are underlined.
Slant rhyme occurs when the sounds of words are
similar but not identical
Rhyme
Rhyme Scheme – pattern of the end rhyme in a
poem. You mark the rhyme scheme of a poem by
using a different letter of the alphabet for each new
rhyme. A for the first rhyme and B for the second
and so on.
Roses are red. - A
Violets are blue. - B
Sugar is sweet. - C
And so are you. - B
Imagery
Imagery is descriptive language that appeals
to one or more of the five senses: sight,
sound, touch, taste, and smell. Some images
appeal to more than one sense.
Figures of Speech
A figure of speech is a word or expression that is
not meant to be taken literally.
A simile uses the word like or as to compare two
seemingly unlike things.
A metaphor compares two or more different things
by stating or implying that one thing is another.
Extended metaphor continues throughout the entire
poem. The poem is actually about something
different than the words suggest.
Figures of Speech
Personification attributes human characteristics to
an animal, object, or idea.
Hyberbole this figure of speech uses exaggeration
for dramatic effect. Poets use it to add flair to their
writing.
Paradox is a statement that appears to be
contradictory but is actually true.
Metaphor Read the excerpt from “An
Indian Summer Day” by Vachel Linsday.
“The sun is a smoldering fire,
That creeps through the high gray plain.”
In what ways is the sun similar to a
smoldering fire?
What effect do you think the author
wanted the metaphor to have?
Sound Devices
Sound devices – writers use these to underscore
the meaning of certain words, to enhance rhythm,
and to add to the musical quality of the work.
Alliteration—repetition of consonant sounds at
the beginnings of words—writer might use it to
draw the reader’s attention to the words and idea
behind them.
Repetition – repeating a sound, word, phrase,
line, or even an entire stanza and is another
frequently used sound device.
Sound Devices
Assonance – the repetition of the same or similar
vowel sounds in neighboring words within the
lines of poetry
Consonance—when two words have different
vowel sounds but share a single consonant
sound. It occurs in the middle or end of words.
Onomatopoeia – the use of a word or phrase that
imitates or suggests the sound of what it
describes.
Sound Devices Read the excerpt from
“Lineage” by Margaret Walker.
“They were full of sturdiness and singing.
My grandmothers were strong.”
How does the repetition of the s sound
affect these lines of the poem?
Sound Devices Think of the sounds
you hear in a given location such as a
crowded room, sporting event, the woods,
or on a bus or a train. Make a list of the
sounds.
How many words on the list can you make
into an onomatopoeia?
Guide to Reading Poetry
● Pay attention to the ways a poem may “refresh
language” and make it seem new.
● Use your emotions, experiences, and imagination
to help you create meaning in a poem.
● Read a poem at least three times: once for
enjoyment, once for meaning, and once for
structure and language.
● Respond to a poem as a whole before analyzing
its details.
Elements of Poetry
● Poems are organized into stanzas. Each
stanza contains one or more lines.
● Imagery is descriptive language that
appeals to the five senses: sight, sound,
smell, touch, taste.
● Figurative language is language used for
descriptive effect, often to imply ideas
indirectly.
Elements of Poetry
● A figure of speech is a word or
expression that is not meant to be
taken literally.
● Rhythm is the pattern of stressed and
unstressed syllables in a line of poetry.
● Rhyme and other sound devices
repeat certain sounds to create
musical effects.