Paraphrasing poetry
p.746 “Not in a Silver Casket”
TURN TO THE NEXT BLANK PAGE IN
YOUR SECTION THREE NOTES.
Find the poem
In your purple/book covered literature book,
please turn to p. 746 and find the poem “Not in
a Silver Casket” by Edna St. Vincent Millay.
As always, read the poem BEFORE starting to
paraphrase! Use the footnotes at the bottom to
help with unfamiliar words.
Start with the basics
Title this “Paraphrase example – p.746” in your notebook.
Tell your neighbor - what’s the perspective/point of
view?
First person, so “I” and “you” and “me” will stay the
same.
Does it use enjambment?
Yes, it does.
Where are the “chunks” of the ideas?
This poem seems to complete each thought every
four lines (quatrains, right?)
I’ll do the first part…
“Not in a silver casket cool with pearls
Or rich with red corundum or with blue,
Locked, and the key withheld, as other girls
Have given their loves, I give my love to you;”
Not in a cold silver box covered in pearls
Or in expensive rubies or sapphires,
Not closed away, and the trick to getting it held back like
other girls
have loved you, I want you to have my love;
Not in a cold silver box covered in pearls
Or in expensive rubies or sapphires,
Not closed away, and the way to get it open held
back like other girls
have loved you, I want you to have my love;
Notice that:
1. I didn’t change every word
2. Some lines stayed the same length– others longer
3. Is it easier to understand now? It should be…
4. Copy the blue above into your notes
Try this quatrain with a neighbor:
“Not in a lovers’-knot, not in a ring
Worked in such fashion, and the legend plainSemper fidelis, where a secret spring
Kennels a drop of mischief for the brain:”
If you want a dictionary, feel free to go get one –
just be sure to put it back! 
KEEP WORKING
When you’ve got it, write it in your notes.
Some poems will be easier in places and harder
in others. Keep playing with the words…
(take five minutes)
Compare yours with another neighbor
• See how your neighbors changed out the
words – did they keep the lines pretty much
the same? Did they miss any words that
should be changed?
• (take three minutes)
Here’s what I got:
Not in a pattern connected to love, not in a ring
Made with that style, and the message clear –
Always faithful, where a tiny beginning
Starts the idea of trouble in someone’s mind:
How close did you get? Change anything in yours
that you think is too far off from the above.
Can you see what she’s saying here? It’s like
“Always Faithful” is a kind of dare, challenging the
wearer to cheat.
Next quatrain – try it on your own
• No neighbor this time – it’s all you! Write it in
your notes.
• Take five minutes on your own
• When five minutes are up, compare with a
neighbor – make changes if you need…
Mine again
Affection not grabbed with a hand, nothing but
love held out
Undecorated, in plain sight, hoping not to harm,
As somebody should bring you simple flowers in
a hat
Dangling from the hand, or apples carried in a
skirt (plain and simple)
Last couplet
I carry these to you, yelling out to you like a kid
would:
“See what I’ve got! – And all of this is for you.”
Add this to your notes
Now that you know what it’s about
Discuss these with your neighbors:
1. How is the speaker’s love different from the love
that other girls have offered?
2. The poem is all about love, so what kinds of love
do the box, the ring, and the flowers symbolize?
How is each different?
3. Take a minute to find examples of alliteration,
assonance, and consonance in the poem.
On to the homework assignment!
• Skip ahead for “Noiseless, Patient Spider”
• You need a sheet of paper. Write your full
heading at the top.
• Title it:
“The Root Cellar” paraphrasing
• I’m passing out copies of the poem now…
Good to know…
“Root cellars are for keeping food supplies at a
low temperature and steady humidity. They
keep food from freezing during the winter and
keep food cool during the summer months to
prevent spoilage. Typically, a variety of
vegetables are placed in the root cellar in the
autumn, after harvesting.” - Wikipedia
Often farmers used root cellars as places to
store vegetable starters such as onion bulbs and
other flowering bulbs such as irises, daffodils,
and tulips.
Root cellars kept a steady colder temperature
and were usually fairly humid yet ventilated.
Again, start with the basics
Tell your neighbor - what’s the perspective/point of
view?
First person, so “I” and “you” and “me” will stay the
same.
Does it use enjambment?
Yes, it does.
Where are the “chunks” of the ideas?
Mark them on the poem with a // to separate each
chunk.
Look up any unusual words…
And the rest is up to you!
Paraphrase this poem – make your lines match
up with Roethke’s in the original.
This is due next time (be ready for a worksheet)!
Again, start with the basics
Tell your neighbor - what’s the perspective/point of
view?
First person, so “I” and “you” and “me” will stay the
same.
Does it use enjambment?
Yes, it does.
Where are the “chunks” of the ideas?
Mark them on the poem with a // to separate each
chunk.
Look up any unusual words
And the rest is up to you!
Paraphrase the first stanza – make your lines
match up with Whitman’s in the original.
This is due next time (be ready for a questions)!