Module 2: Poetry

PoetryENG2D Block BWeek 1Ms. WestgateLearning goalsTo understand how memory impacts and inspires writersTo understand that personal experience is only one source of inspirationTo familiarize ourselves with poetic devices so we may analyze the poetry we explore in terms of how they are crafted and what tools their creators utilized to invoke an emotional response and give meaningTo analyze a poem in terms of poetic devices, meaning, and conventions

Warm up poemSuli Breaks, Why I Hate School But Love Education

http://mariamuir.com/why-i-hate-school-but-love-education/suli-breaks-1/MINDS ON:The Role of Memories in LiteratureWhere do writers get their Inspiration?Life experiencesStories they hear or readObservationsEventsTheir imaginationsDo Writers Only Write From Their Experiences?Is every story Stephen King tells a reflection of his own life?Did the writer experience everything they wrote about?Of course not, however, they get their inspiration from their own experiences that are stored in memoriesMemories are treasure troves for writers Every story and character they create has roots in something the writer experienced whether virtually (through reading, watching, hearing others stories both fact and fiction)MemoriesAre the foundation for all literaturePoetry is one genre that is often used to express personal experiences and deep emotions more than any other genreIn this Module and the next, we are going to explore some forms of poetry that are particularly reflective of the poets experiences, emotions and memoriesWhile you read the poems presented to you, ask yourself:Is the poet speaking from personal experience?Is the poet sharing their personal response to an event?What role does memory play in the poem?Poetry isA literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literatureOxford English DictionaryAlthough poetry is written and read, it is most powerful when it is read aloudPoetry has been put to music and sung since the time of bardsPoetryIs a genre of literatureHas genres of its own like?

Concrete poetryProse poetryRomantic poetryLyric poetryPastoral poetrySlam poetryHaikuCinquainSonnetFree verseBalladEpicAllegoryOdesNarrative poetryBlank VerseEpitaphCoupletAcrosticAlexandrineAnagramCarolFoundAnd so on . . .PoetryFor definitions of the various subgenres of poetry go to: www.poetryfoundation.orgThere are as many forms of poetry as there are emotions and feelings to expressWe cannot possibly delve into every form during this course So we will touch on a few Poetic devicesGo over and discuss the handout on poetic devicesFamiliarize yourself with the common ones and refer to this handout as we analyze and create poemsMany of these devices, if not all, are used by authors of all forms of literature so they are important to know and understand as we analyze how skilled writers use them to create and enhance meaning, evoke emotion, and tell the stories in interesting, even provocative, ways

What form of Poetry Is This?

"Dr. Afua Cooper."Who's Who in Black Canada, 2013. Web. 16 Sep 2013. .What is Dub Poetry?Poetry of West Indian origin which originated out of dub music consisting of spoken word over reggae rhythms; Generally performed without musicThe rhythms is built into the poem through chanted speech with rhythmic accentuation and dramatic stylization of gesture"Dub poetry."En.wikipedia.org, 2013. Web. 16 Sep 2013. .Could you hear the reggae rhythm as Afua Cooper recited her poem?The AssignmentRead Memories Have Tongue by Afua CooperWhile you read it try to recite it with reggae rhythm as your beatIdentify the poetic devices Cooper utilizesWhat affects do they have?How do they enrich meaning?

Poetry In Part 1, we discussed and considered how the writers memories shape their poems and inspire themWe also looked at poetic devices and familiarized ourselves with themIn Part 2, we will consider how the readers own experiences and perspectives inform how they interpret a poemDo your experiences, memories and perspective affect how you interpret a poem?Can you be moved by a poem written from experiences that are very different from your own?Discussion QuestionHow can you relate to a poem that is written from an opposing perspective?Can we read and respond to a poem without our own bias getting in the way?Are poems open to interpretation and is it okay that we take from a poem something different than what the writer is trying to convey?How important is it to know the background of the writer when reading? Case Study: Lenore Keeshig-TobiasRead I Grew Up once before reading about Keeshig-Tobias backgroundWhat do you learn about her from the poem?

"Publisher: Sister Vision Press (Open Library)."OpenLibrary.org, 2013. Web. 17 Sep 2013. .Lenore Keeshig-TobiasAn interview with Keeshig-Tobias discussing her culture, her life and how they have influenced her writingsHow do her memories and experiences influence her writing?

Re read the poem I Grew UpHow does knowing her background and perspective influence you as you read the poem?Do you believe knowing the writers background is important? Why or why not?

What form of poem is I Grew Up?Is there a clear beginning, middle and end?Does it rhyme?Is there a pattern?Is there a rhythm?

A Narrative PoemTells a story (has a beginning, middle and end)Is told by a narrator or characterMay include several charactersHas a conflict: in short narrative poems, the conflict tends to involve the emotional transformation of a single character(Edel).Has line breaks that contribute to meaningHas punctuation at the end of sentencesEnjambment line breaks that do not coincide with sentence breaksHas a persona NOT THE AUTHOR represents a fictitious character unique to the workUses symbols and metaphorsUses powerful imagery

A Narrative PoemI Grew UpWho is telling the story? A narrator or a character?What is the conflict?How does it get resolved? Or does it?What is the narrator like?What symbols are present?Identify some of the imageryWhat is the theme or main idea?What message does the narrator try to convey?I Grew UpIs a unique style of narrative poetryIt is a Native poem that deals with the issues of identity and native culture They address the complexities around being Native in Canada

The AssignmentThere are 2 parts:Respond in complete sentences using concrete examples from the poem to the questions put forwardCreate your own I Grew Up poem following the pattern of Keeshig-Tobias poem in terms of rhythm, line length, number of lines in the stanzas, number of stanzas, and the reversal in the refrain at the endPart TWO of the AssignmentCreate your own narrative poem about growing upUse Keeshig-Tobias poem as a modelYour lines should be about the same lengthIt should have the same number of stanzasIt should have a refrain which is slightly inverted at the endYou can rhyme if you likeYou may use humourIt must have a beginning, middle, and endIt must have imagery and symbolismReferences"Dub poetry."En.wikipedia.org, 2013. Web. 16 Sep 2013. ."Dr. Afua Cooper."Who's Who in Black Canada, 2013. Web. 16 Sep 2013. .Edel, Ryan. "What is a Narrative Poem?." 2010. Web. 17 Sep 2013. ."Keeshig-Tobias also storyteller."nurun.com, 2013. Web. 17 Sep 2013. ."Publisher: Sister Vision Press (Open Library)."OpenLibrary.org, 2013. Web. 17 Sep 2013. .Suli Breaks. Digital image 2013. Web. 4 Mar 2014 .