P o e t r y Review
English 11
Misunderstanding Poetry
For many students, the thought of reading or writing poetry is
almost as exciting as being sick. You might feel like the poet
is purposely trying to make the poem difficult to understand or
you might not relate to what the poet is saying.
In this unit you will learn how to read poetry. You will learn the
skills needed to analyze and interpret a poem and as a result,
poetry will seem much less daunting to you. This unit is not
meant to make you love poetry but hopefully, by the end, you
will appreciate it.
In order to better appreciate poetry, it is important to understand
some of the myths about poetry…
Misunderstanding Poetry
Myth # 1: Poetry is always hard to understand.
Poetry can be difficult to understand at first and some poems are harder to
understand than others. However, if you know how to read poetry and
what to look for, you may be surprised at how much you understand!
Myth # 2: Poetry is usually about flowers, love, or some other emotion.
Poems can be about anything. It can be about a bad break up, your
dream car, a coffee bean, or a cool memory.
Myth # 3: I will never use anything I learn about poetry in real life.
This is only true if you are blind, deaf, and paralyzed! Do you listen to
music? Songs are basically poems put to music. If you understand how
to read a poem you will be able to hear more of the subtleties behind the
lyrics to the music you listen to. Music artists use all of the poetic
devices you will learn in this unit.
Poetry Terminology
Why is it important to know poetic devices anyway?
Poetry is art made with words.
Poetic devices are what make poetry different than other types
of writing. These devices are tools that poets use to create
different effects in their writing.
Think of a painting. The artist uses different types of paint brushes
to create the images he/she desires. So, it is with poetry. The
poet carefully chooses devices that will best communicate
his/her message. Understanding poetic devices helps you to
perceive the meaning of a poem and to gain greater
appreciation for how the poem was written.
Poetry Terminology
Directions:
With your partner, read through each of the following poetry
terms. Start a glossary on the last page of your thought journal
(working forward in the book), write down the definition of each
poetic device so it makes sense to you and provide an
example from the powerpoint and create your own example
of it. Then do the various activities that go along with each
poetic device.
You may skip parts that you are sure you already understand.
This could be done in a perfunctory way or in a way that leads to
genuine learning. You know what my preference is.
Poetry Terminology
Simile
Watch the video on the following website and see if you can figure out
the definition of simile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT6_PXXjU94
Poetry Terminology
Simile definition: A comparison between two unlike things
using the words “like” or “as.”
Simile
"The desires of the heart are as crooked
as corkscrews." (W. H. Auden)
Examples:
“A smile is like a rubber band.
It twists like rubber on my face.
Someone stole my mouth and left a rubber band in its place.”
(Belz)
Poetry Terminology
Metaphor definition: A comparison between two unlike
things without using the words “like” or “as.”
Metaphor
Examples:
The desires of the heart are crooked
corkscrews.
A smile is a rubber band.
It is rubber on my face.
Someone stole my mouth and left a rubber band in its place.
Poetry Terminology
Exercise 1
On a sheet of paper, complete the following lines using similes and
metaphors.
Similes
Metaphors
1. The bear could run as fast…
1. My favorite music group is…
2. The leaf was falling…
2. The night is…
3. Her hair is as smooth…
3. The lights are…
4. The car’s stereo…
4. My life is…
5. My hands are…
5. Coffee is…
Poetry Terminology
Imagery definition: Anything that puts an image in your mind –
basically, it’s a word picture. Imagery includes smell, touch, and
sound.
Imagery
Example:
excerpt from “The Shark” by E.J. Pratt
His body was tubular
And tapered
And smoke-blue,
And as he passed the wharf
He turned,
And snapped at a flat-fish
That was dead and floating.
And I saw the flash of a white throat,
And a double row of white teeth,
And eyes of metallic grey,
Hard and narrow and slit.
I
M
A
G
E
R
Y
Poetry Terminology
Tone definition: How the author feels about what he or she is
writing about.
Tone
Example:
How does Dylan Thomas
feel towards death?
Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night
Dylan Thomas
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
He probably feels angry or upset since he tells us to,
“rage against the dying of the light” (meaning death).
Poetry Terminology
Personification definition: Giving human characteristics
(qualities, feelings, actions) to non-living objects.
Personification
Examples:
The car danced across the icy road.
The wind whispered to me quietly.
The table’s leg stepped in my way.
The sun beat down on me angrily.
Poetry Terminology
Rhyme definition: Words that have a similar sound.
Rhyme
Examples:
Excerpt from Where is the love?
Black Eyed Peas
What's wrong with the world, mama
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism
Poetry Terminology
Rhyme scheme definition: The pattern of rhyming lines in a
poem or song.
Rhyme Scheme
Examples:
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams A
For if dreams die B
Life is a broken-winged bird C
That cannot fly. B
Hold fast to dreams A
For when dreams go D
Life is a barren field E
Frozen with snow. D
Langston Hughes
Poetry Terminology
Onomatopoeia definition: A word that sounds like the thing it’s
describing – like “boom,” “sizzle,” “pop,” and “crunch.”
Onomatopoeia
Examples: see next page
Onomatopoeia
IN A HOSPITAL
By Jacinta Mary Ramayah
Enter a hospital and a cacophony
of sounds assail,
From a nurse’s quick ‘sh’ to a newborn
baby’s wail.
Brr - is when a new mum lies cold in the
operating room and also of a dentist’s
drill,
Pit-a-pat of the heart when a doctor takes
your pulse and the rain on the window
sill,
Tick-tock is heard from the clock in the
hall
and the strident stiletto heels of a visitor,
Whee - the sound of the ambulance siren
and a
young girl when discharged by her
doctor,
Aah - say the proud grandparents at babe’s
wide
yawn and you at the prick of the needle,
Aargh - dad jerks in revulsion as he changes
dirty
diapers and so do I at the bill from the hospital,
wheeze - is the chain-smoker’s regret, an
asthmatic’s
breath and an overloaded hydraulic machine,
Hmm, the doctor looks distracted at a patient’s
chart,
and hmm, a relieved sigh, as I leave with a
grin.
Poetry Terminology
Hyperbole definition: An extravagant statement or
exaggeration.
Hyperbole
Examples:
My Grandfather is probably a thousand years old.
I’m so hungry I could eat a cow.
It’s raining cats and dogs outside.
She can run faster than greased lightning!
Poetry Terminology
Oxymoron definition: The side-by-side placement of words that
are contradictory in meaning.
Oxymoron
Examples:
“O brawling love! O loving hate!” (Shakespeare’s
Romeo and Juliet).
That’s my unbiased opinion!
It was a seriously funny joke.
The car dealer gave an exact estimate on the car
I wanted.
Poetry Terminology
Symbol definition: Something (an object, idea, or action) that
represents something else.
Symbol
Examples:
A symbol can be anything. For example, a
particular song that you listened to during a hard
time in life might represent and remind you of
that time every time you hear it. This can be a
symbol.
A particular flower can be a symbol of love.
A smell can be symbolic of childhood.
Poetry Terminology
Alliteration
Watch the video on the following website and see if you can figure out
the definition of alliteration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6Q0dfrbr10
Poetry Terminology
Alliteration definition: The repetition of same sounds at the
beginning of words.
Alliteration
Examples:
Alliteration
Jack Ashenden
Repeating “f” sound
Repeating “p” sound
Repeating “s” sound
Fiery fury fills my day,
My head feels as soft as clay.
A high-pitched piercing peal,
Screaming, sensational yet surreal.
Poetry Terminology
Consonance definition: The repetition of similar consonant
sounds inside or at the end of words.
Consonance
Examples:
Repeating “n” sound
And inly answering all the senses round
With octaves of a mystic depth and height.
Repeating “t” sound
Poetry Terminology
Assonance definition: The repetition of vowel sounds inside or
at the end of words.
Assonance
Examples:
Repeating “au” sound
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered,
weak and weary
Repeating “e” sound
Practical Poetry Practice
Exercise 2
Directions: On a sheet of paper, match the following lines with the poetic
device which is most clearly used in it. You may go back and look at the
words and definitions if you need to.
1. “This book weighs a ton”
2. “Does it dry up / like a raisin in the sun?”
3. “(It) lay in unruffled luster by the dwelling”
4. "Clankity Clankity Clankity Clank!"
5. Fearful, excited, gloomy, pensive, introspective, etc. are examples of . . .
6. “Moping melancholy mad”
7. ABBA ABBA CDE CDE
8. “O miserable abundance, O beggarly riches!”
9. “All the world’s a stage / And all the men and women merely players”
10. “When Spring comes back with rustling shade / and apple-blossoms fill the air”
11. “He stood above the abominable abyss:”
12. That tree represents a sad time in my life.
Shel Silverstein
How to Read Poetry
Six Survival Skills for Reading Poetry
1. Read slowly!
You will have a much harder time understanding what you read
if you read too quickly. You may have to read a poem a couple
of times before you understand it!
2. Read through the whole poem without stopping.
It’s important to get the general feeling of the poem before you
try to figure out what different parts mean.
3. Understand how the poem made you feel.
Even if you don’t completely understand what the poem is saying,
knowing how you felt as you read will be a key to understanding its
meaning. (By the way, ‘confused’ is not a valid feeling in poetry!)
How to Read Poetry
Six Survival Skills for Reading Poetry
4. Look up any words you don’t understand and don’t forget the
title!
Now is the time to look up any words you don’t understand and
think might be important to understanding the poem. Also,
sometimes the title is a key to understanding the poem.
5. Read poetry like you’re reading sentences and paragraphs.
Always read poetry to some punctuation mark. If you pause
after reading each line there’s a good chance you won’t get it.
6. If all else fails, read the poem again!
If you are still having trouble understanding the poem try reading it
again. It is often helpful to read the poem out loud.
Reading Poetry
Now it’s your turn to read some poetry!
Directions
Read the poem on the next page. When you’re finished, continue on
to the next page.
Reading Poetry
The Dead by Billy Collins
The dead are always looking down on us,
they say,
while we are putting on our shoes or making a sandwich,
they are looking down through the glass-bottom boats,
of heaven as they row themselves slowly through eternity.
They watch the tops of our heads moving below on earth,
And when we lie down in a field or on a couch,
Drugged perhaps by the hum of a warm afternoon,
They think we are looking back at them,
which makes them lift their oars and fall silent and wait,
like parents,
for us to close our eyes
Reading Poetry
Listen and watch the poem at the following site.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuTNdHadwbk&NR=1
Reading Poetry
Exercise 3
On a sheet of paper answer the following questions:
1. What is this poem about?
2. How does this poem make you feel?
3. How does the poet present the idea of the afterlife?
4. Give an example of simile from this poem.
5. The “glass-bottomed boats, / of heaven” is an example of what poetic
device (there are two possible right answers)?
Reading Poetry
Langston Hughes (1902-1967), was an American writer, known for using
the rhythms of jazz and of everyday black speech in his poetry. Hughes
was one of the first writers to portray the urban black experience
realistically. His poems typically express the tribulations and sometimes
the joys of ghetto life in plain, spirited language resembling the colloquial
speech of American blacks.
Reading Poetry
Exercise 4
Dreams by Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
Answer the following questions on paper.
1. What are the two metaphors in this
poem?
2. What is the theme of “Dreams?”
3. What dreams do you have that you don’t
want to let go of? Have you had dreams
in the past that you are not holding onto
anymore? Explain!
Thought Journal
Exercise 5
On the page following the thought journal instructions, there is a list of
poems. Read several of these poems by finding them online. Then, pick
one poem that you enjoy and that you could read in front of some of
your classmates. Discuss it with your partner and each write a full
thought journal response on it. The next slide reminds you what to
include.
List of poems:
Thought Journal – Responses to Short Stories, Movies, Novels, Poetry
These responses are opportunities for you to genuinely and thoughtfully interact with what you’re reading and
watching. They are places for you to think aloud and wonder. They are works in progress to which you can
always add. You don’t have to have all the answers. Explore and enjoy. Here are the kinds of things you might
include:
S
Summary: Write a brief summary of the story, novel, movie, poem that shows you get what it’s about.
PR Personal Reflection: Tell us what the story, movie, novel, poem made you think about, feel, or wonder. Make
connections to your own life and to the world in general.
Th Theme: Write a possible theme statement that gets at the essence of the story, movie, novel, poem. Provide
specific, detailed evidence from the text that supports your theme statement. If you’re unsure, that’s ok; you’re
writing to figure it out not to show us how smart you are. Tell us your thoughts on the author’s message/ insight?
A powerful theme statement:
– Tells what the central insight of the poem/story is
– Relates to life outside the poem/ story
– Avoids generalizations (words like “every” and “always”)
– Accounts for the major details of the poem/story
– Uses fresh words (avoids clichés)
A Authors: Tell us what you notice about writers and how they write or filmmakers and how they make
movies. How are they using things like irony, symbolism, metaphor, allusions, personification to enhance the
themes of their writing? How are they using sounds and imagery to enhance our experience?
CQ Critical Questions: What questions do you have about it? What are you confused or puzzled by? What
questions need to be asked about it? What are your answers?
Read About Love by Richard Thompson (a poem)
In this poem the writer thinks that love is the same as sex. He has no idea how to treat women because he’s learned
from magazines like Hustler. As a result he treats his girlfriend badly (maybe even rapes her) and is totally confused
because he has no idea what he did wrong.
that Theme Statement: Our society does a poor job of teaching boys and young men how to treat women because love
and sex are taboo subjects among so many men and in general.
This is a powerful poem because it ends so tragically. The writer starts with what seems like a benign story about a
teenager trying to find out about love and not getting good answers. It’s even funny in parts at start like when he says,
“in the back of a Hustler, Hustler, Hustler” and I think the author does that on purpose because it makes the tragic
ending all the more powerful because when funny and tragic are juxtaposed they both stand out more. I totally agree
with his message. It seems like that’s what it’s like in society. We don’t really talk about love that much and often the
places we go for to get info are not very reliable (hustler, cosmo, seventeen). They’re places that are trying to sell
magazines not educate seriously about these topics and I think they just perpetuate the stereotypes already out there.
I’m still wondering about this part:So why-don't you moan and sigh
Why-do you sit there and cry?
I do everything I'm supposed to do
If something's wrong, then it must be you
Did he rape her or did he just treat her poorly and have ‘bad’ sex, or sex like he learned from porn magazines? I think
both interpretations can be supported by the poem though the second makes mores sense to me especially when I read
the line, “ When I touch you there it’s supposed to feel nice.” That tells me that at least he wasn’t intending to rape her
but maybe it was date rape where he went to far and he still doesn’t get it. Either way it makes the point about the
need for better ‘love’ education very clearly and is yet another reason for me to make sure I do a good job of this with
Lukas. It also makes me think that doing a unit on love in my class is worthwhile. I also think that the author uses
irony to get across his point effectively. It’s ironic that he thinks he knows all there is to know about love like when he
says, “I do everything I'm supposed to do” and, “I know the ways of a woman,” when in fact he’s totally clueless. That
irony makes the point about men’s miseducation when it comes to love and sex all the more powerfully. Not only are
we clueless but this is exacerbated by the fact that we think we know what’s going on so therefore have no need to
learn anything new. This is a recipe for disaster in our love relationships and is likely to lead to violence against
women in the most extreme cases.
Reading Poetry
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas
I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You by Pablo Neruda
Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins
My Papa’s Waltz by Theodore Roethke
Industrial Poem by Peter Trower
Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Terence, This is Stupid Stuff by A.E. Housman
Grass by Carl Sandburg
To a Poor Old Woman by William Carlos Williams
Writing Poetry
Writing poetry may seem like a daunting task, but you may be
surprised at how easy and simple it can be! However, there is
one rule you have to remember when you write poetry – there
are no rules. Writing poetry allows you to play with language in
a way that you can’t ever do with an essay, a story, or a
sentence.
Good poets have a reason for everything they do in their poem;
however, as we start out, I just want you to get some practice at
playing with language. Oh, something else I would encourage
you to do is have some fun as you put your poetic skills to
practice!
Writing Poetry
Poetry Task - Thought
Journal
On the following page you will find a collage of pictures.
Your task is to pick one of the pictures that you would like to
write a poem on. (You can click on the picture to get a bigger
version of the picture.) Your poem needs to be at least 10
lines long and include two poetic devices