Name: __________________________________________
Ms. Doolittle, Sophomore English
class period: ________
Flashcards Work
You will need 8 colored flashcards to write down the “common poetic structure” words and definitions (on the
front side of this page). You will need 15 white index cards for the “common literary devices” (on the back side
of this page).
Copy the word on one side and the definition on the other. Leave room on the back side of the card for an
example, too.
When you turn in your cards, make sure they are held together by a rubber band, string, or Ziploc bag. Also
make sure your first and last names are on the top card.
Poetry Glossary
COMMON POETIC STRUCTURES & FORMS (use one color of index cards)
couplet – a pair of rhymed lines of poetry (e.g., Sleigh bells ring. Are you listening? / In the lane, snow is
glistening…)
free verse – Poetry that doesn’t have much meter or rhyme.
meter – A regular pattern to the syllables in lines of poetry.
quatrain – poetic verse of four lines, usually presented in some sort of rhyme scheme. Common
schemes include: abab, abba, and abax)
ode – usually a poem of moderate length, with a serious subject, an elevated style, and an elaborate
stanza pattern. There are various kinds of odes, which we don't have to worry about in an
introductory course like this. The ode often praises people, the arts of music and poetry, natural
scenes, or abstract concepts.
narrative poem – poetry that has a plot. The poems that make up this genre may be short or long,
and the story it relates to may be simple or complex.
rhyme scheme – The pattern of a poem’s end rhymes. For example, the following lines have a
rhyme scheme of a b a b c d c d:
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
a
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
b
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May.
a
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
b
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines
c
And often is his gold complexion dimmed
d
And every fair from fair sometime declines
c
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimmed
d
stanza – a unified group of lines in poetry. Used to refer to groups of lines with no other name (i.e.,
a quatrain is the exact term for a stanza with four lines, so call it a “quatrain” and not “four-line
stanza”)
1
COMMON LITERARY DEVICES (use white index cards)
alliteration – The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words. “Sally sells sea
shells by the sea shore”
cliché – an overused and predictable word, phrase, or image
foreshadowing – giving hints or clues of what might happen at a future time in the story
imagery – figurative language used to produce mental pictures and appeal to the five senses (touch,
taste, see, hear, smell)
irony – the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning: the words say one thing, but
mean another. (Sarcasm is a type of irony.)
metaphor – a figure of speech indirectly comparing two essentially dissimilar things; used to create
new connections for the reader (e.g., My love is a red, red rose.)
extended metaphor – is when the metaphor is continued throughout the work. (A whole
poem or story compares two things indirectly)
onomatopoeia – The use of a word which imitates or suggests the sound that the thing makes. Snap,
rustle, boom, murmur
personification – giving human characteristics to objects, animals or things
repetition – repeated use of sounds, words, phrases, images, or clauses to emphasize meaning or
achieve effect… NOT because the author has a limited vocabulary!
shift – refers to a change or movement in a text, often resulting from an epiphany, realization, or
insight gained by the speaker, a character, or the reader. Also known as “turn.” These common
signals often indicate a shift in tone:
key words (e.g., but, yet, nevertheless, however, although)
punctuation (dashes, periods, semicolons)
stanza and paragraph divisions
changes in line and stanza or in sentence length
sharp contrasts in diction (word choice)
simile – a figure of speech directly comparing two essentially dissimilar things; the comparison is
signaled with like or as; used to make writing more vivid, fresh, or interesting (e.g., as fresh as bread from
the oven)
symbolism – using a person, place, or thing to represent something else (often to represent an
abstract idea, or a group of ideas/characteristics)
theme – a broad idea in a story; the underlying message or lesson. Something fundamental, universal,
and bigger than plot.
tone – indicates author’s feelings about his or her subject, character(s), and/or audience. It is the
cumulative effect of the writer’s words. An author’s style conveys tone.
2
Where I'm From
By
I am from _________________________,
from ________________________ and ________________________.
I am from the __________________________________.
(_____________, _______________,
it tasted like _________________.)
I am from the _____________________________
the __________________________
whose _____________________________ I remember
as if they were my own.
I'm from __________________ and ________________________,
from ____________________ and ____________________.
I'm from the __________________________
and the ___________________________,
from _____________! and ________________!
I'm from ______________________
with a __________________________
and __________________________________.
I'm from ________________ and ______________________,
_______________ and ______________________.
From the ____________________________
to the _____________________,
the ________________________________________.
Under my ____________________ was a ________________________
_____________________________,
a __________________
to __________________________________.
I am from those ____________________________-________________________________ -______________________________ from the family ________________.
3
Guided Reading Strategies: Poetry
Even if it’s not part of the Guided Reading Strategy, always analyze the title of a poem.
TP-CASTT
Title:
Ponder the title before reading the poem.
Paraphrase:
Translate the poem into your own words.
Connotation:
Contemplate the poem for meaning beyond the literal.
Attitude:
Observe both the speaker's and the poet's attitude (tone).
Shifts:
Note shifts in speakers and in attitudes.
Tone:
The creator's attitude toward a subject, character, or audience.
Theme:
Determine what the poet is saying.
T-TWISTS
Title:
Ponder the title before reading the poem.
Tone:
The creator's attitude toward a subject, character, or audience.
Word choice:
What word choice (diction) seems especially connotative?
Imagery and Detail:
Is there any specific imagery or use of detail/figurative language that’s
meant to evoke a particular reaction from the reader?
Shifts:
Are there any dramatic changes in speaker? In tone? In subject matter?
Theme:
What theme does the author present in this text?
Speaker:
Look for the number of speakers and the POV. Look for clues which
point to the speaker’s attitude and background.
T-SIFTT
Title
Examine the title for significance to text.
Speaker:
Look for the number of speakers and the POV. Look for clues which
point to the speaker’s attitude and background.
Imagery:
Identify images and sensory details.
Figures of Speech:
Analyze figurative language and other devices.
Tone and Theme:
Discuss how imagery and figures of speech reveal tone and theme.
4
Name: ______________________________________________
Sophomore English, Ms. Doolittle
period: ___________
due date: __________
Finding Theme
Plot
Subjects
Theme(s)
Write a paragraph summary of
the “plot” or events of a text.
What’s this text
about? List words or
phrases
Write a complete
sentence identifying
what the author is
trying to say about
his/her subject
“Janet
Waking”
“Sure”
5
Name: ______________________________________________
Sophomore English, Ms. Doolittle
period: ___________
due date: __________
Comparing Two Poems: Roberts and Giovanni
hear
smell
imagery
“Cold Fear” by Elizabeth Madox Roberts
touch
taste
see
What I noticed about techniques and structures used in this poem:
TONE: Roberts’s ________________ description of her walk home suggests a/an experience
of ______________________________________________________________________.
hear
smell
imagery
“Knoxville, Tennessee” by Nikki Giovanni
touch
taste
see
What I noticed about techniques and structures used in this poem:
Giovanni’s ________________ description of Knoxville suggests she cherishes
_______________________ memories of this place.
6
Name: ______________________________________________
Sophomore English, Ms. Doolittle
period: ___________
due date: __________
Examples on Flashcards
As we read and annotate poems in class, it is your responsibility to add examples to the
backs of your flashcards. The examples need to come with annotations. (See the example
below.)
Metaphor: “The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees” (Noyes,
“The Highwayman”)
You will receive one point for each properly formatted annotation, and one point for each
accurate example. That makes this a 50 point reading assignment.
Flashcard Examples (check off as you go)




alliteration
cliché
couplet
extended
metaphor
 foreshadowing
 free verse





imagery
irony
metaphor
meter
narrative
poem
 ode






onomatopoeia
personification
quatrain
repetition
rhyme scheme
shift





simile
stanza
symbolism
theme
tone
Rubric for Grading (please do not mark)
Flashcard Examples _____ / 50 reading points




alliteration
cliché
couplet
extended
metaphor
 foreshadowing
 free verse





imagery
irony
metaphor
meter
narrative
poem
 ode






onomatopoeia
personification
quatrain
repetition
rhyme scheme
shift





simile
stanza
symbolism
theme
tone
7
Name: ______________________________________________
Sophomore English, Ms. Doolittle
period: ___________
due date: __________
Poetry Test Prep
Your poetry test will involve matching sections (for both definitions and examples) as well as
multiple choice (what term best describes this example?)
Use flashcards to help you study for your poetry test. There are 3 ways to run the flashcards
(see below). Each time you run flashcards, note the date and partner, then have your partner
sign off that you completed the activity. You will have your parent or guardian sign this
sheet to verify that they trust your study efforts. You will earn points the following way:
C = 20 times (10 times with an adult)
B = 24 times (12 times with an adult)
A = 28 times (14 times with an adult)
This will be a 100 point assignment—50 points in participation, and 50 points in vocabulary.
Assignment
Date
Easy Definitions
1.
Go over the
flashcard definitions.
Someone reads you
the definition, and
you tell them the
appropriate term.
2.
Example:
MOM: “an overused
and predictable word,
phrase, or image”
YOU: “cliché”
person with whom I
practiced
his/her signature
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Yes! I trust that my child completed the studying as listed on this sheet (front and back).
___________________________
name
____________________________________
signature
8
Assignment
Date
Tough Definitions
1.
person with whom I
practiced
his/her signature
person with whom I
practiced
his/her signature
Go over the
2.
flashcard definitions.
Someone reads you
3.
the term, and you tell
them the definition.
4.
Example:
5.
MOM: “cliché”
6.
YOU: “an overused
7.
and predictable word,
phrase, or image”
Assignment
8.
Date
Easy Examples
1.
Go over the
flashcard examples.
2.
Someone reads you
the example, and you 3.
tell them the
appropriate term.
4.
Example:
5.
MOM: “Sally sells sea
6.
shells by the sea shore”
YOU: “alliteration”
7.
8.
9.
10.
9
Name: ______________________________________________
Sophomore English, Ms. Doolittle
period: ___________
due date: __________
Annotations Project: Teamwork Grade
Target
Criterion
Contributing
Responsibly In a
Group Setting
(Wagner)
Consistently stayed focused on the task and
what needed to be done. Very self-directed.
Score
A B C D F
Completed homework as necessary.
Routinely used time well throughout the
project to ensure things got done on time. Did
not procrastinate.
Asked for help when applicable.
Using
communication
skills that
demonstrate respect
and foster
productivity
(Communication
GLE 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3)
Fulfilling
responsibilities of
group role
(Communication
GLE 3.3.1, 3.3.3)
Routinely shared specific, useful feedback
through the three-layered “compliment
sandwich” model.
A B C D F
Constantly listened to, shared with, and
supported the efforts of others. Tried to keep
people working well together.
Actively assists in problem-solving; doesn’t
just wait for teacher to fix issues.
Project Manager: Makes sure group has all of
the supplies they need, when they need them.
Makes sure group understands and follows all
directions. Manages time.
A B C D F
Graphic Designer: types and prints out copy
of the poem. Takes charge of theme frame
(doesn’t have to do it all himself/herself… but
makes sure it gets done).
Copy Editor: double checks spelling and
grammar. Writes responses on graphic
organizer.
10
Name(s):______________________________________________
Sophomore English, Ms. Doolittle
period: _____
due date: ____
Poem Presentation
Set-Up
Museum display includes:
 Project information: title of poem, author name, students
who worked on project
 A copy of the poem (from the packet, or selected on
your own)
 A theme frame
 A guided alphabet analysis of your poem
A B C D F
Poem
Poster
 Poem written or typed in an easy-to-read font and color.
 Poem encased in a frame that uses colors, symbols,
and/or images to convey the theme and tone of the
poem.
 Annotations on the poem show group members’
thinking as they analyzed the poem.
A B C D F
Guided
Reading
Alphabet
 Thoughtful analysis using one of the guided reading
alphabets in your purple poetry packet. “Thoughtful”
means thorough!
 Analysis written in complete sentences.
A B C D F
The students demonstrate a good grasp of standard writing
conventions (e.g. spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar,
usage, paragraphing). They may manipulate conventions for
stylistic effect, but any oddities are clearly on purpose—and they
work!
A B C D F
All writing:
conventions
Final Score:
A
B
C
D
F
Comments:
11
T-TWISTS for “Hazel Tells Laverne”
Title:
The title tells us the poem’s speaker and supposed audience. Hazel is the speaker.
She tells what we soon learn is a pretty incredible story to her friend, Laverne.
These are female names, so right away we know that we’re about to read a “girl
chat.” They also don’t seem like very affluent names—probably, Hazel and Laverne
don’t have much money (an assumption borne out by the content of the poem).
Tone:
Machan’s playful take on Hazel’s frog prince suggests an amused, incredulous
attitude towards the subliminal messages in European fairytales.
Word choice:
Machan’s word choice is extremely informal. There are no capital letters, and no
punctuation. Some of the words—such as “sohelpmegod” (line 10)—are strung
together. Spelling is informal, as well, such as “an I hitsm” instead of “and I hit
him” (line 21). Machan also drops the last letter of words: “swimmin aroun an
trying ta” (line 7). The author makes these choices in order to mimic working-class
speech patterns. Alongside the title, her word choice emphasizes that this is one
blue-collar friend talking to another.
Imagery and
Detail:
The setting of the poem—and the words associated with the talking frog—are
hardly the stuff of Disney fairytales. We hear of the “ladies room,” “sewer,” and
“toilet.” The frog appears in the toilet bowl, trying to climb up the side (lines 7-8),
and then Hazel “has ta flush” him down three times before he disappears (line 23).
Images of sewers and toilets connote grimy filth, not romance!
The first shift is around line 10. Prior to this, the poem is firmly anchored in reality.
But on line 10, the frog that came out of the sewer starts talking. Now readers know
we’re in a fairytale! Based on other fairytales we know, we expect Hazel to kiss him
and live happily ever after. Instead, she screams “ya little green pervert” and flushes
him back down the toilet (line 20). This is another shift.
Kathryn Machan's poem, "Hazel Tells Laverne," is a humorous parody of fairytale
romance. Beneath the laughs, however, the poem suggests that working class
women can’t expect fairytale romances to change their lives.
The speaker of the poem, Hazel, is similar to Cinderella in several key ways.
She’s working as a servant and up for potential princess-hood. Unlike her Disney
counterpart, however, Hazel doesn’t speak like a proper lady. She doesn’t sing
beautiful songs while wiping marble floors, nor does she nurture small woodland
creatures. Instead, she cleans bathrooms for a living and flushes frogs down toilets
(lines 22-24). She seems much more realistic than Cinderella—a real life maid who
has a hard time believing that any twist of fate could make her a princess.
Hazel, unlike Cinderella or the Frog Princess, doesn’t seem to want or need to
be rescued. She keeps repeating “me a princess” as if to emphasize how ridiculous
she finds the idea. Instead of being rescued by a prince, she rescues herself from a
“little green pervert” (line 20).
When Hazel announces “last night / im cleanin out my / howard johnsons
ladies room,” readers can infer that she works as a swing-shift maid. The name of
her workplace is important. Howard Johnson is a middle-class hotel chain often
used by families on vacation—definitely not a swanky resort. So Hazel works
crummy hours at a not-so-amazing hotel.
Shifts:
Theme:
Speaker:
12