Poetry and Visuals
Identity Unit
Name:
Due Date:
POETRY – IMPORTANT TERMS
Poetry – a term applied to the many forms in which human beings have given rhythmic
expression to their most imaginative and intense perceptions
The following list of definitions will be useful in our discussions of poetry this year:
Cacophony – a harsh, disagreeable sound
Euphony – the opposite of cacophony, pleasantness or smoothness of a sound; assonance;
assimilation of the sounds of syllables to facilitate pronunciation and to please the ear
Figurative Language – intentional departure from normal order, construction, or meaning of
words in order to gain strength and freshness of expression, to create a pictorial effect, to
describe by analogy, or to discover and illustrate similarities in otherwise dissimilar things.
1. Antithesis – characterized by strongly contrasting words; balancing of one term against
another
2. Allusion – a passing or indirect reference; in literature, an author will often make an allusion to a
famous book such as the Bible, or a famous work of art
3. Apostrophe – someone (usually absent), or some abstract quality, or a nonexistent
being is directly addressed as though present (Lady Luck, smile on me.)
4. Hyperbole – conscious exaggeration, to heighten effect, or produce comic effect (This
dog, with teeth the size of axe blades, started chewing at the seat of my pants.)
5. Irony – the recognition of a reality different from appearance
6. Metaphor – a direct comparison of two unlike things i.e. the moon was a ghostly
galleon.
7. Simile –
a comparison of two unlike things using “like” or “as” i.e. the water curled
like snakes.
8. Oxymoron (Gk. Oxus, sharp and moros, dull) – a figure of speech in which two words or
phrases of opposite meaning are set together for emphasis or effect, i.e. falsely true
9. Personification –
giving inanimate objects human characteristics i.e. the leaves
danced in the gentle wind.
10. Metonymy – the substitution of a term naming an object closely associated with the
word in mind for the word itself (i.e. the skirt, the badge)
Imagery – using words which appeal to one of the five senses i.e. The path through the forest
was a lush green velvet color.
Lyrics – words of a song
Onomatopoeia – the use of words that by their sound suggest their meaning i.e. meow,
crunch
Poetic License – the poet’s privilege of departing from normal order
Repetition – repeating a word or phrase for emphasis
SOUND TERMINOLOGY
Alliteration – the use of words beginning with the same consonants or any vowel
sounds in successive or closely associated syllables, especially stressed syllables i.e. “In a
summer season, where soft was sun…” OR “Apt alliteration’s artful aid is often an occasional
ornament in prose.”
Assonance – similar vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end with different
consonant sounds i.e. “Lake” and “fake” demonstrate rhyme. “Lake” and “fate” show
assonance.
&
Consonance – the use at the end of verses of words in which the final consonants in the
stressed syllables agree but the vowels that precede them differ i.e. “add-read,” “bill-ball,”
“born-burn”
Chorus – a refrain repeated after each stanza in a poem or song
Melody – sound devices, the main one being rhyme (assonance, onomatopoeia,
alliteration)
Meter – board note/explanation to follow
Parallelism – the repeated use of a grammatical pattern in a line or lines of a poem
Quatrain - four lines, usually having one of these rhyme schemes – abab, abba, abcb
Refrain – a group of words forming a phrase or sentence and consisting of one or more
lines repeated at intervals in a poem, usually at the end of a stanza
Repetend – a poetic device marked by a repetition or partial repetition of a word or
phrase frequently throughout a stanza or poem. Repetend differs from refrain in that the
refrain usually appears at predetermined places within the poem, whereas the repetend offers
an element of surprise by appearing irregularly.
Rhythm – accents of syllables in the words fall at regular intervals, like the beat of music
Rhyme scheme – the pattern of rhyme in the poem (abab cdcd efef gg)
Rhyming Couplet – two lines with identical rhymes
Stanza – a group of lines of poetry having definite pattern; a division of a poem,
separated by white space
Iambic pentameter – a ten syllable line in which for every two syllables, the first is short or
unaccented while the second is long or accented; used by Shakespeare
POETRY FORMS
We will cover SOME of these types of poetry this term.
Ballad: a type of lyric poem that is usually sung or recited.
Important Characteristics: (1-3 are the most important!)
1. it tells a story
2. often written in quatrains (4 line stanzas)
3. subject is romance, tragedy, or the supernatural
4. there is usually rhyme (such as abab)
5. about common people (not royalty)
6. can be sung (rhythmic)
7. dialogue and dialect often present
8. passed down in oral tradition – anonymous author
9. figurative language is often present
10. circular (end goes back to beginning)
11. a chorus or refrain is not uncommon
12. jumps right into the story with little background information
Blank Verse: unrhymed iambic pentameter that is commonly used for long poems, whether
they are dramatic, philosophic, or narrative.
NOTE— Iambic Pentameter: a ten syllable line in which for every two syllables, the first is short
or unaccented while the second is long or accented (used by
Shakespeare).
Elegy: a formal poem that is about a poet’s thoughts on death, or another solemn theme. It is
often about the death of a particular person, but it may be a general observation or the
expression of a solemn mood.
Epic: a long narrative poem that tells a story about characters of high position in adventures.
It forms a whole through their relation to a central heroic figure, and through their
development of episodes important to the history of a nation or race.
Free Verse: based on irregular rhythmic cadence (sound patterns) instead of using meter. It
may or may not have rhyme. If it does, it is used with great freedom.
Lyric Poetry: a brief, subjective poem strongly marked by imagination, melody, and emotion,
creating a unified impression. The original lyric poems were sung while the
performer played the lyre.
Types of lyric poems:
1. hymns
2. sonnets
3. songs
4. ballads
5. odes
6. elegies
7. several French forms (ballade, rondel, rondeau)
Monologue: a speech, either written or oral, that presents only one speaker. It represents
what someone would speak aloud in a situation with listeners, although they are
alone.
Narrative Poetry: a poem that tells a story or presents a narrative (can be simple or complex,
long or short)
Types: 1. Epics
2. Ballads
3. Metrical Romances
Ode:
an elaborated lyric, expressed in dignified, sincere, and imaginative language with an
intellectual tone. It has a single purpose and one theme.
Sonnet: 14-line poems written in a special meter called iambic pentameter. There are two
major types, which are easily distinguishable by their rhyme schemes.
Types:
1. Italian Sonnet – has an octave (8 lines) and a sestet (6 lines)
Rhyme Scheme: abbaabba cdccdc OR abbaabba cdecde
The octave presents a brief narrative, makes a proposition, or raises a problem.
The sestet drives home the brief narrative, applies the proposition, or solves the
problem.
2. Shakespearean Sonnet – has three quatrains and a concluding couplet
Rhyme Scheme: abab cdcd efef gg
The couplet provides a comment on the previous twelve lines.
Villanelle: a fixed nineteen-line form, originally French, employing only two rhymes and
repeating two of the lines according to a set pattern. Line1 is repeated as lines 6, 12, and 18;
line 3 is repeated as lines 9, 15, and 19. The first and third lines return as a rhymed couplet at
the end. The scheme of rhymes is aba aba aba aba abaa. Dylan Thomas’s “Do Not Go Gentle
into That Good Night” is one of the most famous villanelles.
Visual Terms
_
Angle - space between diverging lines; part that sticks out; position from which something may
be viewed
Asymmetry - lacking equality, balance, or harmony; not regularly arranged on opposite sides of
a line or around a central point
Background - the part of a picture or pattern that appears to be in the distance or behind the
most important part
Balance - The way shapes are arranged. When shapes are balanced, they create a feeling of order
or harmony. When shapes are not balanced, they create tension.
Composition - The arrangement of visual elements within a picture (layout of the elements)
Contrast - an effect created by placing or arranging very different things such as colors, shades,
or textures next to each other
Color - The appearance of objects (or light sources) described in terms of a person's perception
of their hue/tint. It is used to represent the ways things really look and also to create feeling
Dominant Image - more important, effective, or prominent than others
Emphasis - Drawing attention to something by use of color, size or placement
Focal Point - Part of a visual that is the main area of interest
Focus (in or out) - the quality that makes an image sharply defined with clear edges and contrast
Font - style and size of type
Foreground - the part of a picture or scene that appears nearest the viewer
Frame - a structure that surrounds or encloses a particular space
Genre - The kind or category of visuals.
Ex. Landscape, portrait, nature photography, abstract painting, etc.
(Intensity - Purity or strength of a color (brightness or dullness)*** not on spec list)
Harmony - The quality that binds the parts of a visual image into a while. It is often created
through simplicity and repetition
Lighting - the amount or type of light in a photograph, painting, or other artwork
Line - The basic unit of any image that has both length and direction
Movement - A sense of energy in a visual, determined by the spaces between shapes and by the
shapes themselves
Panel - a section depicting a single scene in a comic strip
Perspective - the appearance of objects to an observer allowing for the effect of their distance
from the observer
Proportion - the correct or desirable relationship of size, quantity, or degree between two or
more things or parts of something
Scale - a ratio representing the size of an illustration or reproduction, especially a map or a
model, in relation to the object it represents
Shadow - a darkened shape on a surface that falls behind somebody or something blocking the
light
Symbol - covered in previous notes, it still remains that a symbol is a person, place, or object
which stands for or represents an abstract thought or idea i.e. the Canadian flag represents our
country, its people, its ideas and its history
Symmetry - the property of being the same or corresponding on both sides of a central dividing
line; the harmony and beauty that results from such balance
(Value - Lightness or darkness of a color *** not on spec list)
FORMS
Caricature - a drawing, description, or performance that exaggerates somebody's or something's
characteristics for humorous or satirical effect
Collage- a picture made by sticking cloth, pieces of paper, photographs, and other objects onto a
surface i.e. see my right wall
Comic Strip - a series of cartoons that tell a story or a joke i.e. Garfield, Peanuts, Cathy, For
Better For Worse are my favorites
Editorial Cartoon - a cartoon that appears in the editorial section of a newspaper, using humour
to criticize a serious issue in the news
Graphics - the presentation of information in the form of diagrams and illustrations instead of as
words or numbers
Photo essay - a collection of photographs in a magazine or book (or English project), often
accompanied by a short commentary, that provide an overview
Poster - a printed picture, often a reproduction of a photograph or artwork, used for decoration
or advertisement
Print - a work of art made by inking a surface with a raised design and pressing it onto paper or
another surface
Storyboard - a set of sketches, arranged in sequence on panels, outlining the scenes that will
make up something to be filmed, e.g., a motion picture, television show, or advertisement
Drumming for Mandela
Text: Views and Viewpoints, p. 243-245
The South African activist and former president Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)
helped bring an end to apartheid and has been a global advocate for human
rights.
 Watch a short documentary about Mandela’s life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgQBoXsxr8w
 Read the poem Drumming for Mandela on p. 243-244 and answer
questions 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6.
1. Given what you know or have learned about Nelson Mandela, what do you think is the
main message of the visual?
2. Explain how the following visual devices enhance the visual’s meaning: composition,
color, focal point, line.
3. What does Mandela symbolize in the visual? Give evidence to support your response.
4. Choose two elements from the visual and explain how these reveal the oppression of
Apartheid.
5. Compare the mood of the visual to that created in the poem. Show, with reference to
both texts, how the atmosphere is established.
I.D. Entity
Text: Views and Viewpoints, p. 241-242
***Note*** Babel Fish was a free web-based multilingual translation application.
 Read the poem and answer questions 2, 3, and 8 (using I.D. Entity) on page
242.
 Choose one of the metaphors in the poem, and create a small
representation to demonstrate your understanding of the figurative
meaning.
Metaphor:
1. Choose three visual elements and explain how they work together to create an image
about identity in today’s digital society.
2. Which text, the poem or the visual, do you feel depicts more accurately the image of an
adolescent in today’s society? Write a short paragraph explaining your response. Point
to evidence in each text to support your opinion.
Sonnet 55
William Shakespeare
Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;
But you shall shine more bright in these contents
Than unswept stone besmear'd with sluttish time.
When wasteful war shall statues overturn,
And broils root out the work of masonry,Ch
Nor Mars his sword nor war's quick fire shall burn
The living record of your memory.
'Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity
Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room
Even in the eyes of all posterity
That wear this world out to the ending doom.
So, till the judgment that yourself arise,
You live in this, and dwell in lover's eyes.
Sluttish: slovenly (neglectful of neatness of cleanliness)
Mars-the Roman god of war
Enmity-ill will
Posterity: future generations
1. Write the rhyme scheme of the poem. What patterns do you notice?
2. Paraphrase the main idea after each quatrain and the final rhyming couplet in the poem.
3. What is the “powerful rhyme” to which Shakespeare refers? What is he saying about
poetry?
4. Find an example of allusion in the poem. What message is he sending by including it in
his sonnet?
5. Find an example of assonance. Explain how it is effective in the poem.
6. Explain the irony in the following quote: “Nor Mars his sword nor war’s quick fire shall
burn/The living record of your memory(lines 7-8)
Ta Prohm (prasat taprohm) is the modern name of the temple at Angkor, Siem Reap Province,
Cambodia, built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and
originally called Rajavihara. Located approximately one kilometre east of Angkor Thom and on
the southern edge of the East Baray, it was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman as a
Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm has
been left in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric
combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of
Angkor's most popular temples with visitors. UNESCO inscribed Ta Prohm on the World
Heritage List in 1992.
1. Choose the image from Sonnet 55 that best describes these ruins in Cambodia. Explain
your response with reference to the poem.
2. Discuss the use of shadow and light to explain the effects of “sluttish” time.
3. In terms of understanding the concept of identity, is it important to have artifacts from
the past? Explain your opinion with reference to both the visual and the sonnet.
In class poetry and visual evaluation
Identity Crisis
By Monica Holliday
1
5
10
15
20
25
You said to be beautiful,
I had to be thin.
You said to wear that dress,
I needed perfect curves
(Whatever that meant).
You said to drive that car,
I had to have gorgeous eyes.
You said to wear that scent,
I needed flawless skin.
You said in order to get that man,
I had to have long, luscious lashes.
You said to get that job,
I needed big, pouting lips.
You said to succeed in life,
I had to be perfect.
You said to be happy,
I had to conform to all your obsessions.
And now as I lay here,
With my living breath departed,
Looking beautiful against
The creaseless silk of
My eternal bed,
I ask you why you do this,
Why I died this way,
Trying to exemplify
Perfect.
Selected Response Items (5 %)
1. Which best describes the form of this poem?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Ballad
Elegy
Free verse
Sonnet
2.
What is the effect of the brackets in the quote: “(Whatever that meant).”(Line 5)?
A.
B.
C.
D.
To emphasize the speaker’s passing comment
To further explain the imagery described
To separate the topic of curves from cars
To set off information of little importance
3. What literary device is used in the quote: “I had to have long, luscious lashes”
11)?
A.
B.
C.
D.
(line
Alliteration
Assonance
Foreshadowing
Onomatopoeia
4. .
Which literary technique is used in the quote: “Looking beautiful against the
creaseless silk of my eternal bed” (lines 20-22)?
A.
B.
C.
D.
5.
Denotation
Metaphor
Personification
Simile
What tone is created by the repetition of “you” throughout the poem?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Accusatory
Doubtful
Self-blame
Vengeful
6. Identify the theme of the poem “Identity Crisis” by Monica Holliday. Identify and
explain two techniques the poet uses to develop this theme. Support your response with a
reference for each. (10 %)
7. Identify the message of the visual and show how, through contrast and focal point, this
message is effectively conveyed. ( 5 points)
8. Identify a tone that relates to both the visual and the poem. Provide a reference from
each text to support your response. (5 points)