POETRY

PoeticGENRES

Poetic GENRES

To begin with, let’s remember that most poetry does NOT rhyme.

Poetic GENRES

Lyric poetryDEFINITION: highly musical verse that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker. It creates a single, unified impression.

Short Usually in 1st person point of view Expresses emotion or describes a scene Does NOT tell a story No syllable requirements No rhyme scheme requirements

Poetic GENRES

Acrostic poetryDEFINITION: a poem in which the first letter of each line spells a word or phrase that is the topic of the poem.

Oftentimes done about a name No syllable requirements No rhyme scheme requirements

Poetic GENRES

Ballad poetryDEFINITION: a poem that tells a story in a musical way or with a musical feeling

Can be as long as the story requires Odd-numbered lines longer than even-numbered lines Even-numbered lines should rhyme

Poetic GENRES

Epic poetryDEFINITION: a long narrative poem about the adventures of gods or a hero. Serious in tone and broad in theme.

Very long No syllable requirements No rhyme scheme requirements

Poetic GENRES

Concrete or Form poetryDEFINITION: a poem with a physical shape that suggests the subject/topic. The poet arranges the letters, punctuation, and lines to create an image, or picture, on the page.

Length – must fit into the shape No syllable requirements No rhyme scheme requirements

PoeticForms

Poetic Forms

HaikuDEFINITION: a Japanese poem about nature.

hAIKUby Rolf Nelson

Haikus are easy But sometimes they don’t make senseRefrigerator

5 SYLLABLES7 SYLLABLES5 SYLLABLES

NOTE: not technically a haiku because it’s not about nature

by Jonathan Stephens

Tell me I'm like light,light that reflects off windowsright into your eyes

5 SYLLABLES7 SYLLABLES5 SYLLABLES

by Jonathan Stephens

I long for summerSwinging in my green hammockThe oak leaves whistling

5 SYLLABLES7 SYLLABLES5 SYLLABLES

by Matsuo Basho

Spring rainleaking through the roofdripping from the wasps' nest.

2 SYLLABLES5 SYLLABLES6 SYLLABLES

NOTE: But that’s not the right syllables! How is it a haiku?

Poetic Forms

HaikuDEFINITION: a Japanese poem about nature.

Length – 3 lines 5-7-5 No rhyme scheme requirements

Poetic Forms

CinquainDEFINITION: can be about anything

Cinquains“November “by Adelaide Crapsey

Listen . . .With faint dry sound,Like steps of passing ghosts,The leaves, frost-crisp’d, break from the treesAnd fall.

2 SYLLABLES4 SYLLABLES6 SYLLABLES8 SYLLABLES2 SYLLABLES

“Snow” by Adelaide Crapsey

Look up . . .From bleak’ning hillsBlows down the light, first breathOf wintry wind . . . look up, and scentThe snow!

2 SYLLABLES

6 SYLLABLES

2 SYLLABLES

4 SYLLABLES

8 SYLLABLES

“Guarded Wound” by Adelaide Crapsey

If itWere lighter touchThan petal of flower restingOn grass, oh still too heavy it were,Too heavy!

2 SYLLABLES

8 SYLLABLES

3 SYLLABLES

4 SYLLABLES

9 SYLLABLES

Poetic Forms

CinquainDEFINITION: can be about anything

Length – 5 lines 2-4-6-8-2 No rhyme scheme requirements

Poetic Forms

LimerickDEFINITION: a humorous, musical-feeling poem that oftentimes makes fun of or tells a story about a specific person.

LImerick

There once was a ThingamajigLike a Whatsis, but three times as big.When it first came in view,It looked something like youBut it stayed and turned into a pig.

Poetic Forms

LimerickDEFINITION: a humorous, musical-feeling poem that oftentimes makes fun of or tells a story about a specific person.

Length – 5 lines 3 beats – 3 beats – 2 beats – 2 beats – 3 beats Rhyme scheme: A-A-B-B-A

LImerick

There was a young fellow who thoughtVery little, but thought it a lot.Then at long last he knewWhat he wanted to do,But before he could start, he forgot.

LImerick

There once was an ape in a zooWho looked out through the bars and saw YOU!Do you think that it’s fairTo give poor apes a scare?I think it’s a mean thing to do.

LImerick

I've been studying all night and I'm tired,But I can't sleep because I'm so wired.So I'll play on the net'Stead of going to bed,And my tests will seem a quagmire.

PoeticTechniques

Poetic TECHNIQUES

LineDEFINITION: basic structural component of a poem. Literally, a row of words that ends somewhere.

Poetic TECHNIQUES

StanzaDEFINITION: a formal division of lines in a poem that is considered as a unit. Separated by spaces. Like prose paragraphs, only for poetry. Conveys a single idea.

Poetic TECHNIQUES

Types of StanzasCouplet

Triplet (tercet)Quatrain

Quintet (cinquain)Sestet (sextet)

Septet (heptastich)Octave

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2-line stanza3-line stanza4-line stanza5-line stanza6-line stanza7-line stanza8-line stanza

Poetic TECHNIQUES

MeterDEFINITION: the rhythmical pattern of the poem. Determined by the number of stresses or beats in each line.

Poetic TECHNIQUES

FootDEFINITION: a basic unit of a meter. Normally contains either two or three syllables with varying patterns of stress.

Poetic TECHNIQUES

Rhyme SchemeDEFINITION: a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem. Each new rhyme is assigned the next letter of the alphabet, while repeat sounds get whatever letter they were first assigned.

What’s the rhyme scheme?

You would not believe your eyesIf ten million firefliesLit up the world as I fell asleepCause they fill the open airAnd leave teardrops everywhereYou'd think me rude, but IWould just stand and stare.

I'd like to make myself believeThat planet Earth turns slowly.It's hard to say that I'dRather stay awake when I'm asleep,Cause everything is never as it seems.

From “Fireflies” by Owl CityAABCCAC

BBABB

Poetic TECHNIQUES

AlliterationDEFINITION: the repetition of initial consonant sounds. Writers use alliteration to draw attention to certain words or ideas, to imitate sounds, and to create musical effects.

AlliterationPaul McCann’s “Dewdrops Dancing Down Daisies”

Don't delay dawns disarming display. Dusk demands daylight. Dewdrops dwell delicatelydrawing dazzling delight.Dewdrops dilute daisies domain. Distinguished debutantes. Diamonds defray delivereddaylights distilled daisy dance.

Poetic TECHNIQUES

Free VerseDEFINITION: poetry not written in a regular, rhythmical pattern, or meter. The poet is free to write lines of any length or with any number of stresses, or beats. Free verse is therefore less constraining than metrical verse, in which every line must have a certain length and a certain number of stresses.

Poetic TECHNIQUES

RefrainDEFINITION: a regularly repeated line or group of lines in a poem or a song

RefrainVERSELove me cancerouslyLike a salt-sore soaked in the sea.'High-maintenance' meansYou're a gluttonous queenNarcissistic and mean.Kill me romanticallyFill my soul with vomitThen ask me for a piece of gum.Bitter and dumbYou're my sugarplum.You're awful, I love you!

From

Lud

o’s “Lo

ve M

e D

ead”

REFRAIN (CHORUS)She moves through moonbeams slowlyShe knows just how to hold meAnd when her edges softenHer body is my coffinI know she drains me slowly

PoeticDevices

Poetic Devices

SimileDEFINITION: a figure of speech that uses like or as to make a direct comparison between two unlike ideas.

EXAMPLES:

He is as tall as a redwood tree.

She runs like a snail.

Poetic Devices

MetaphorDEFINITION: a figure of speech that describes something as though it were something else.

EXAMPLES:

from Tombstone >>> “Why Wyatt, you’re an oak.”

You are such a stick in the mud.

Poetic Devices

IdiomDEFINITION: an expression that has a meaning particular to a language or region. A phrase in which the literal meaning of the words does not add up to the actual meaning.

idiomsEXAMPLES:

to go bananas =

on pins and needles =

hit the ground running =

copycat =

in the doghouse =

fly off the handle =

to get super excited

waiting with much anxiety

to get a quick start on something

someone who copies or mimics

on someone’s bad side / in trouble

to get super angry, very fast

Poetic Devices

AnalogyDEFINITION: makes a comparison between two or more things that are similar in some ways but otherwise unalike – typically, A : B :: C : D – 2 things compared to 2 things.

EXAMPLES:

A glove is to hand as monitor is to computer.

Horses are to past societies as computers are to future societies.

Poetic Devices

HyperboleDEFINITION: obvious and intentional exaggeration

EXAMPLES:

These books weigh a ton.

I’m so tired I could sleep for a year.

Poetic Devices

SymbolDEFINITION: anything that stands for or represents something else. Symbols are common in everyday life.

EXAMPLES:

See the following slides…

What do the following

things usually stand for in

literature and film?

the color black

the color white

the color green

the color blue

Poetic Devices

PersonificationDEFINITION: a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics.

EXAMPLES:

Nature speaks to people.

The window winked at me.

Poetic Devices

PunDEFINITION: the humorous use of a word or phrase to emphasize or suggest different meanings or applications; words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in meaning; a play on words.

EXAMPLES:

Illusionists always find themselves in tricky situations.

Romance isn't a science . . . it's a heart.

PunSee www.PunOfTheDay.com

Poetic Devices

IronyDEFINITION: literary techniques that involve surprising, interesting, or amusing contradictions

EXAMPLES:

from Sideshow Bob on the Simpsons:“I'm aware of the irony of appearing on TV in order to decry it.” (decry - condemn or denounce)

Poetic Devices

ParodyDEFINITION: a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing

EXAMPLES:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Parry Hotter and the Seamy Side of Magic

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

Poetic Devices

OnomatopoeiaDEFINITION: the use of words that imitate sounds and can help put the reader in the activity of a poem.

EXAMPLES:

Thump

Squish

Phlblblbplb

Thwack

Kerplunk

Splink

POETRY