Introduction to Poetry
A Quickwrite to get us started:
• What is it that makes a piece
of writing “poetry”? (“Prose”
is writing that is not poetry.)
– This will not be collected, but keep your
response in a safe place. You may need it
later.
Extra Credit Poetry Reading
• For extra credit, I asked the class to bring a
favorite poem to class with a typed paragraph
about why the poem is a favorite.
– To get the extra credit you must read the poem
you brought (or part of it if it is excessively long).
– You must also briefly share your reasons for
choosing it with the class.
– Make sure to turn in your paragraph to me by the
end of class to get the extra credit you have
earned.
"Introduction to Poetry" p. 686
• To whom is this poem addressed? (And who
is "them"?)
• What does the speaker want? What actually
happens?
• What figures of speech are very common in
this poem? Why?
Some suggestions for reading a
poem for this class:
1. Read it aloud. Poetry was meant to be heard. Pay
attention to punctuation. Don't stop at the end of the
line just because it's the end of a line. Try reading it
different ways.
2. Familiarize yourself with new vocabulary.
3. Paraphrase the poem in your own words sentence-bysentence if the meaning is difficult to unravel.
4. Pay attention to places that strike you as particularly
meaningful or beautiful. Mark them, highlight them, and
write about them.
5. Pay attention to places that seem to encapsulate or focus
meaning.
6. Try to identify themes and sources of tension in the
poem. Look for word choices, rhymes, images that
enhance theme or conflict.
Three More Poems about Poetry
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"Poetry" p. 469
"Ars Poetica" p. 709
"Selecting a Reader" p. 707
We will read each of these aloud as a class
and answer the following questions:
– What is the speaker’s point of view about poetry?
– What lines strike you as beautiful or interesting?
– In what ways are these poems similar/different?
Just a Heads Up…
• For the first fifteen minutes of class next time, I will
be asking you a question about the four poems we
read today. Think about which one you think best
describes our relationship with poetry.
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As a reminder, those four poems are:
"Introduction to Poetry" p. 686
"Poetry" p. 469
"Ars Poetica" p. 709
"Selecting a Reader" p. 707
In Class Writing #4
• Which of the four poems we read last class
about poetry best defines poetry and your
relationship to it? Why?
• We read:
– "Introduction to Poetry" on p. 686
– "Poetry" on p. 469
– "Ars Poetica" on p. 709
– "Selecting a Reader“ on p. 707