English III
 Poetry is…
 Lullaby, nursery rhyme, favorite song, Shakespearian
sonnet, limerick
 Poetry is different from prose in that it makes the usual
new and interesting.
 Poets achieve this effect by using poetic devices.
 Imagery, figures of speech and sound effects.
 Rhyme scheme- the pattern of rhymed lines in a poem.
 It is indicated by giving each new rhyme a new letter in
the alphabet.
There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream, a
The earth, and every common sight
b
To me did seem a
Apparelled in celestial light, b
 Slant rhymes- words sound similar but not exact
 End rhyme- occurs at the end of rhymes
 Internal rhyme- occurs within the lines.
 Consonance- repetition of final consonant sounds
after different vowel sounds. Ex/east, west; dig, dog
 Assonance- repetition of similar vowel sounds
followed by different consonant sounds in words that
are close together. Ex/ “An abbot on an ambling pad,
 Alliteration- repetition of consonant sounds in words
close together. Ex/And with old woes new wail
 Metaphor
 Synecdoche- a part to
 Simile
 Repetition
 Imagery
 Hyperbole
 Oxymoron
 Paradox
 Irony
 Onomatopoeia





represent the whole
(wheels/car)
Speaker
Inversion
Tone
Extended metaphor
Metaphysical conceit
 Elegy
 Canto
 Villanelle
 Blank verse
 Elizabethan sonnet
 Free verse
 Italian/Petrarchan sonnet
 Spenserian sonnet
 Ballad
 Pastoral/anti-pastoral
 Metaphysical
 Carpe diem
 Iambic: u / (repeat)
 Anapestic: u u/ (interrupt)
 Trochaic: /u (older)
 Dactylic: / u u (openly)
 Spondaic: / / (heartbreak)
 A division of poetry named for the number of lines
 Couplet- 2 lines
 Triplet- 3 lines
 Quatrain- 4 lines
 Quintet- 5 lines
 Sestet- 6 lines
 Septet- 7 lines
 Octave- 8 lines
 A metric line of poetry. Named according to the kind








an number of feet.
Monometer: 1 foot
Dimeter: 2 feet
Trimeter: 3 feet
Tetrameter: 4 feet
Pentameter: 5 feet
Hexameter: 6 feet
Heptameter: 7 feet
Octometer: 8 feet
 Step 1: Choose 10 British poems you find interesting
 Step 2: Copy them onto a sheet of paper
 Step 3: Annotate the poem! (go over handout now)
 Step 4: From those 10, choose 5 you REALLY like
 Step 5: Write an analysis using the format given (go
over format now)- you will write 5 total
 Step 6: Choose ONE poem you REALLY, REALLY like
and practice reciting it…since you will do this for the
class!
 Step 7: Have fun! Poetry can be very cool if you let it.
 February 14/15- Choose all 10 poems; write on paper
 February 16/17- Perform Macbeth!
 February 22/23- Annotate 5 poems, 1 analysis
completed
 February 24/25- Annotate 7 poems, 2 analyses
completed
 February 28/Mar. 1- Turn in portfolio!/Review
elements/Recite poems
 Mar. 2/3- Quest
 By Dylan Thomas
 Elegy- mourns the death of someone or laments
something lost.
 Lyric- poetry that focuses on expressing emotions or
thoughts, rather than telling a story.
 Villanelle- 19 line poem divided into 5 tercets(3 line
stanzas), each with the rhyme scheme aba, and a final
quatrain with the rhyme scheme abaa
 Line 1 is repeated to form lines 6, 12, 18
 Line 3 is repeated to form lines 9, 15, 19
 Title- Negative (do not); be aggressive (not gentle);
specific (that); positive feeling(good); death (night)
 Imperative- commanding “Do not!”
 Iambic pentameter; repetition of two end-rhyme
sounds….somber, musical quality.
 Aba rhyme scheme
 Iambic pentameter (do not go gentle into that good





night)
Possible subject: old age/night/dying
Subject should “rave and burn”; opposite of gentle
“close of day”/night
Repetition- Rage/rage (important…fighting feeling)
“dying of the light”/night/death?
 Wise men…subject of stanza 2? Should know death is







normal.
What does “words had forked no lightening” mean?
It’s because of that forking they fight death. Hmmm.
Rhyme scheme: aba (again…soothing)
Iambic pentameter again. Nice.
Imagery: one bolt of lightening (no forking?)
Words- lightening …possible metaphor
Repetition of title/line 1…important message?
 Good men…subject of stanza 3?
 “last wave”/death, I’m sure.
 Bright deeds/good works? Powerful work? Wait…
“frail”…probably not powerful. Fragile, bright,
danced…all positive words.
 Green bay…earth? Gulf of Mexico? Bathtub?
Probably earth.
 Oh! Line 3 is line 9! Repetition…what kind of poem
does that…hmmmm……
 So “old age”, “wise men”, and “good men” all shouldn’t
go gentle into that good night. Got it.
 Wild men…subject! “caught the sun”, “sang the sun in
flight”…what?
 Learn too late (that sounds sad…elegy); grief over line
10, but not sure what it means. Help!
 Hey, line 12 is line 1! Awesome, I totally know what
kind of poem this is. Also, I think the poet is trying to
make a point. Hmmmm….
 Grave men…subject. Get it? “Grave”, night, death,





dying….ha!
“who see with blinding sight”…hey, those words
contradict each other…that’s a ____________.
“Who see with blind eyes” that sounds false but is
really true…what the heck is that element?
Blinding sight blind eyes could blaze like meteors..ok,
I see 3 elements in one line…bam!
How can you be blind and happy (yes, gay means
happy)
Line 15 is line 9 repeated. Nice.
 Last one so I bet there’s a big finish coming.
 “my father”! Wait a second, is this the real subject??
 “sad height”..I wonder if his dad was really tall.
 Line 17: curse me, bless me with fierce tears. He is
praying for this from his father. So, I guess his dad
isn’t doing any of this, making the speaker sad. (2nd
person narration, btw)
 Line 18 is line 1,6,12 and the title.
 Line 19 is line 3,9 and 15.
 Awesome. I feel the sadness and frustration of the
poet. So sad. So great.
 Based on my annotation, I am going to write my analysis on the theme
of resisting death.
 Topic Sentence:
The poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas
explores the theme of fighting death by living life.
The repeated last lines of each stanza, “do not go gentle into that good
night” and “rage, rage against the dying of the light”(lines 3,6,9,12,15,19)
create the needed emphasis on resisting death, supporting Thomas’
theme. Also, these lines are metaphors for death (good night/dying of
the light). This figurative language provides the needed contrast to
death , supporting the theme of living life.
By using the style of villanelle, Thomas uses these key lines to provide
emphasis through repetition, enforcing his theme of resisting death.