Poetry Section Table of Contents

1 Elements of Poetry

4 Poetry Analysis

6 Poetry Breakdown

8 Approaching Poetry

9 Writing About Poetry

10 Strategies for Analyzing Poetry

11 TPCASTT

13 Determining Meter

17 Meter Practice

21 Multiple Choice Record for Poetry

Literary Elements Commonly Used in Poetry

The Sounds of Poetry Alliteration – to repeat the same initial consonant sound in a series of words Example: big black bug Assonance – to repeat vowel sounds without repeating consonant sounds; the rhyme of vowel sounds when the word endings differ Example: pale gray lake Consonance – to repeat consonant sounds within and at the end of words; repetition of a consonant sound when vowel sounds differ (can be ending, beginning, or middle consonants) Example: The dog growled eagerly at the beggar. Onomatopoeia – a word that imitates the sound of something Meter – the pattern of rhythm in a line of poetry Rhythm – the arrangement of stressed and unstressed sounds; the beat of a poem

The Language of Poetry Apostrophe – when the speaker directly addresses an absent person or a personified quality; an address to the dead, absent, inanimate as if present or alive Connotation – associated meaning; what a word implies Conceit – a fanciful or elaborate analogy between two seemingly dissimilar things Denotation – the direct, specific meaning of a word; the dictionary definition of a word Diction – word choice Didactic – intended to teach or convey instruction/information as well as entertainment Euphemism – the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend Hyperbole – an exaggeration for the sake of effect

Example: This book weighs a ton. Idyllic – picturesque in natural simplicity; suggests peace and contentment

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Imagery – words or phrases that appeal to the senses Metaphor – an implied comparison of two things; expressed without “like” or “as” Metonymy – substitution of a term naming an object associated with the word Example: Have you read much Shakespeare? Oxymoron – a combination of two contradictory words Example: Jumbo shrimp Paradox – a seemingly contradictory statement that is, nonetheless, true Example: Parting is such sweet sorrow. Parody – imitation for amusement of instruction; uses exaggeration or inappropriate subject matter Personification – to give human characteristics to inanimate objects or ideas Rhetorical Question – a question to which no answer is expected Simile – a comparison of two things using “like” or “as” Symbol – an object that stands for something else Synecdoche – substitution of a part to represent the whole Example: The quarterback threw the pigskin.

The Structure of Poetry Blank verse – unrhymed iambic pentameter Couplet – two successive lines which rhyme with each other Eye rhyme – words that look like they should rhyme, but do not (rough / cough) Imperfect rhyme – words that do not quite rhyme when rhyme is expected Internal rhyme – the rhyme of words within a line or between words in middles of lines Poetic foot – a set of syllables in a line of poetry with a definite rhythm Quatrain – a stanza consisting of four lines

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Refrain – a group of words or lines recurring regularly at the ends of stanzas Rhyme – to repeat a sound at the end of lines of poetry Rhyme scheme – a pattern of recurring sounds in words at the end of lines Scansion – determination of the rhythm by identifying poetic feet and meter Slant word – nonsense word used to force a rhyme, understood by the reader Stanza – a unit of poetry consisting of a group of related verses Verse – a single line of poetry

The Various Types of Poetry Ballad – a narrative poem intended to be sung Dirge – a poem that is sung or recited at a funeral Doggerel – poorly executed attempt at poetry; generally monotonous rhyme or rhythm, cheap sentiment, or trite subject matter Dramatic monologue – one person speaking to a silent listener; reveals true character Elegy – a poem written to lament the dead Free verse – a poem without defined rhyme or rhythm; arranged according to natural speech patterns usually without any rules or specific forms Haiku – a short 3-line poetic form from Japan; lines consist of 5 syllables, 7 syllables, and 5 syllables Limerick – a humorous five-line poem with a rhyme scheme of AABBA Lyric poetry – a poem with intense emotion and vivid images, often with a musical quality Narrative poem – a poem that tells a story Pastoral – a poem glorifying shepherds or rustic life, typically drawing a contrast between the innocence and simplicity of country life and the corruption of the city Ode – a lyric poem serious in subject and dignified in style Sonnet – a 14-line poem written in iambic pentameter with a couplet at the end

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Poetry Analysis NARRATIVE POETRY Poetry that tells a story.

1. The Ballad: a simple narrative poem with refrain and repetition that can be spoken or sung How do we categorize the ballad? Simple words and rhyme scheme Use of dialog and repetition Often divided into quatrains Basic rhyme scheme with a refrain (suggests a songlike quality) Anonymously written (especially fold ballads) Look for typical rhyme scheme (iambic tetrameter alternating with iambic trimeter) Popular Example: “Get Up and Bar the Door” (Anonymous)

2. Dramatic Monologue: speaker converses with the reader as he/she reveals events Popular Example: “My Last Duchess” (Robert Browning)

3. Epic Poem: a lengthy elevated poem that celebrates the exploits of a hero Popular Example: Beowulf (Anonymous)

LYRIC POETRY Subjective and emotional poems that can be as simple as sensory impression (“The Red Wheelbarrow”) or elevated as ode or elegy; often reflective

1. Ode: type of lyric poem that addresses subjects of elevated stature (praise) Popular Example: “Ode on a Grecian Urn”

2. Elegy: lyric poem written in honor of one who has died Popular Example: “In Memoriam A.H.H.”

3. Sonnet: lyric poem with 14 lines (see notes on Sonnet) 4. Lyric poems can also be written in free verse

THE SONNET A lyric poem consisting of 14 lines; there are two major categories of sonnet

1. Petrarchan Also called “Italian Sonnet” Consists of one octave (8 lines) and one sestet (6 lines)

Octave: two (2) Italian quatrains (abba abba) Sestet: rhyme pattern varies, but usually includes a pattern with c, d, and e

Italian Sestet – cde cde Sicilian Sestet – cd cd cd

Popular Example: “On his being arrived” (John Milton)

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2. Shakespearean Also called “English Sonnet” Contains three (3) Sicilian quatrains

abab, cdcd, efef Ends with one heroic couplet

gg Usually has a question or issue in the quatrains that is answered in the heroic couplet Popular Example: “Sonnet 138” by William Shakespeare

3. Spenserian Very similar to Shakespearean Contains three Sicilian quatrains and one heroic couplet abab, bcbc, cdcd, ee Interlocks each of the quatrains so their rhyme is connected Popular Example: “Sonnet 30” by Spenser

VILLANELLE The highly structured villanelle is a nineteen-line poem with two repeating rhymes and two refrains. The form is made up of five tercets followed by a quatrain. The first and third lines of the opening tercet are repeated alternately in the last lines of the succeeding stanzas; then in the final stanza, the refrain serves as the poem's two concluding lines.

Villanelle Rhyme Scheme (capital letters represent refrains, lowercase letters represents rhymes; brackets separate tercets and quatrains)

[A1, b, A2] [a, b, A1] [a, b, A2] [a, b, A1] [a, b, A2] [a, b, A1, A2]

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Poetry Breakdown STRUCTURE Syllables

Foot The basic building block of poetry composed of syllabic patterns. These patterns create a meter (the pattern of beats or accents based on stressed or unstressed syllables in a line.

Iamb (u /) Trochee (/ u) Anapest (u u /) Dactyl (/ u u) Spondee (/ /)

Lines Lines named based on how many feet are in each line. Monometer (1) Dimeter (2) Trimeter (3) Tetrameter (4) Pentameter (5) Hexameter (6) Heptameter (7) Octameter (8) Nanometer (9)

Stanzas

Lines can be divided into groups, called stanzas. Line (1) Couplet (2 lines) Tercet (3 lines) Quatrain (4 lines) Cinquain (5 lines) Sestet (6 lines) Septet (7 lines) Octave (8 lines)

Cantos One of the largest divisions of poetry

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POETIC DEVICES These are ways that the author creates depth within the poem. Imagery Visual Auditory Gustatory Tactile Olfactory Organic (internal sensation) Kinesthetic (movement, tension in muscles and joints) Denotation/Connotation Allusion Irony Understatement Hyperbole Paradox Simile/Metaphor/Analogy Personification Apostrophe Symbol Tone POETIC VOCABULARY Make sure you can define and use these words to analyze poetry. Asyndeton/Polysyndeton Enjambment Litotes Internal Rhyme Dialect Metonymy Synecdoche Anaphora Oxymoron ANALYSIS

Utilize poetic devices to understand meaning and purpose Utilize poetic structure to find depth in the poem Interpret the different layers of a poem and how it can be interpreted

Literally Sexually Philosophically Religiously Politically

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Suggestions for Approaching Poetry from The Bedford Introduction to Literature, 2nd edition.

1. Assume that it will be necessary to read a poem more than once. Give yourself a chance to become familiar with what the poem has to offer. Like a piece of music, a poem becomes more pleasurable with each encounter. 2. Do pay attention to the title; it will often provide a helpful context for the poem and serve as an introduction to it. 3. As you read the poem for the first time, avoid becoming entangled in words or lines that you don't understand. Instead, give yourself a chance to take in the entire poem before attempting to resolve problems encountered along the way. 4. On a second reading, identify any words or passages that you don't understand. Look up words you don't know; these might include names, places, historical and mythical references, or anything else that is unfamiliar to you. 5. Read the poem aloud (or perhaps have a friend read it to you). You'll probably discover that some puzzling passages suddenly fall into place when you hear them. You'll find that nothing helps, though, if the poem is read in an artificial, exaggerated manner. Read in as natural a voice as possible, with slight pauses at line breaks. Silent reading is preferable to imposing a te-tumpty-te-tum reading on a good poem. 6. Read the punctuation. Poems use punctuation marksin addition to the space on the pageas signals for readers. Be especially careful not to assume that the end of a line marks the end of a sentence, unless it is concluded by punctuation. Consider, for example, the opening lines of Hathaway's "Oh, Oh." My girl and I amble a country lane, moo cows chomping daisies, our own sweet saliva green with grass stems. Line 2 makes little or no sense if a reader stops after "own." Keeping track of the subjects and verbs will help you find your way among the sentences. 7. Paraphrase a poem to determine whether you understand what happens in it. As you work through each line of the poem, a paraphrase will help you to see which words or passages need further attention. 8. Try to get a sense of who is speaking and what the setting or situation is. Don't assume that the speaker is the author; often it is a created character. 9. Assume that each element in the poem has a purpose. Try to explain how the elements of the poem work together. 10. Be generous. Be willing to entertain perspectives, values, experiences, and subjects that you might not agree with or approve. Even if you loathe baseball, you should be able to comprehend its imaginative use in a poem about baseball. 11. Try developing a coherent approach to the poem that helps you to shape a discussion of the text. 12. Don't expect to produce a definitive reading. Many poems do not resolve all the ideas, issues, or tensions in them, and so it is not always possible to drive their meaning into an absolute corner. Your reading will explore rather than define the poem. Poems are not trophies to be stuffed and mounted. They're usually more elusive. And don't be afraid that a close reading will damage the poem. Poems aren't hurt when we analyze them; instead, they come alive as we experience them and put into words what we discover through them. 13. Finally, interpreting a poem is not merely a subjective practice. There is almost always an acceptable range of interpretation that is agreed upon by the academic community of readers. Disagreement over what certain parts of a poem mean is always based on a shared understanding of what other aspects of the poem do mean.

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Kinds of Evidence in Writing About Poetry

Diction literal language

denotation connotation

imagery figurative language symbolism allusion selection of detail organization [chronological, non-chronological, spatial, etc.]

Sound devices

rhythm rhyme scheme onomatopoeia phonetic intensives

Syntax

relation of syntax to form relation of syntax to content

Form

stanza form line placement

Tone

sum of relation of all other elements Application

When you present evidence from a work in support of an assertion you have made about the work, make sure that you apply the evidence to your assertion. Don't just say that "This example shows ..."; explain what the evidence has to do with your assertion: "This example shows ... by ..." or "... shows ... because..." In other words, tie your evidence to your assertion; don't just drop it in and leave it. Help your reader make the connection that you have made.

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Poetry Practice

Strategies for Analyzing Poetry

TPCASTT

T = Title: Preview the title and predict what its significance or relevance might be

P = Paraphrase: Paraphrase the literal content of each sentence

C = Connotative Language: What connotations alter the meanings of the terms in the literal content?

A = Attitudes: What attitudes are indicated? What is the attitude of the author toward the topic of the poem? …toward the situation? …toward the reader?

S = Shifts: What shifts occur in the poem? …of speaker? …of situation? …of attitude? …of time?

T = Title: Review the title to conclude what its relevance and significance are.

T = Theme: What is the poem saying on both literal and nonliteral levels?

SOAPSTone

S = Speaker: Who is the speaker? This is not necessarily the poet.

O = Occasion: What is the situation? What is going on?

A = Audience: To whom is the poem addressed? This is not necessarily the reader.

P = Purpose: What is the poet’s purpose?

S = Shifts: What shifts occur in the poem? …of speaker? …of situation? …of attitude? …of time?

Tone: What is the tone of the poem?

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TP-CASTT: A Method for Poetry Analysis Adapted from a version by Connie Vermeer of Las Cruces High School

TITLE—Examine the title before reading the poem. Consider all possible meanings or connotations; write down synonyms for key words. PARAPHRASE—Translate the poem line by line into your own words (literal/denotation). Stop at sentences rather than just the ends of lines (some authors use enjambment vs. end-stopped lines). Resist the urge to jump to interpretation; just write what happens literally at this point. CONNOTATION—Examine the poem for meaning beyond the literal level. Look for: Diction (formal/informal, positive/negative word choices) Imagery Figurative language (symbols, metaphor, simile, personification) Irony—paradox, understatement, hyperbole (exaggeration), oxymoron Effect of sound devices (alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhythm, rhyme) ATTITUDE—tone; Examine both the speaker’s and the poet’s attitudes. Remember, don’t confuse the author with the person that he or she creates in the poem. Look for: Speaker’s attitude toward self, other characters, and the subject of the poem Attitudes of characters other than the poem’s speaker Poet’s attitude toward speaker, other characters, subject, and finally, toward the reader SHIFTS—Note shifts in speaker (or point of view), attitudes (tone), or mood Look for: Occasion of poem (time and place) Key words (e.g. but, yet, although, for) Punctuation (dashes, periods, colons. . .) Stanza divisions Changes in line and/or stanza length TITLE—Examine the title again, this time on an interpretative level. What does it mean and how does it relate to or deepen your understanding of the poem's content? THEME—First list what the poem is about (subject or subjects); then determine what the poet is saying about each of those subjects (theme). Remember, the theme must be expressed as a complete sentence.

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TP-CASTT: A Method for Poetry Analysis

Analysis Step Your Response TITLE

PARAPHRASE

CONNOTATION

ATTITUDE

SHIFTS

TITLE

THEME

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Name: Date:

Learning the Mechanics of Poetry Rhythm and Meter Practice

QUOTE OF THE DAY “Life is tons of discipline. Your first discipline is your vocabulary; then your grammar and your punctuation. Then, in your exuberance and bounding energy you say you're going to add to that. Then you add rhyme and meter. And your delight is in that power.”

- Robert Frost Poetic feet are defined by the structure of stressed and unstressed syllables. Every word in the English language has stressed or unstressed (or both) syllables. If every syllable was stressed, we would sound very funny! Here are the four main types of poetic feet. Iamb ˘ / Anapest ˘ ˘ / Spondee / / Trochee / ˘ Dactyl / ˘ ˘ Now, each of the following words is polysyllabic (that means they have more than one syllable). Your job is to identify the number of syllables in the word and then determine which syllable(s) is stressed and which syllable(s) is unstressed. Divide each word by syllable, mark each syllable according to stress, and determine the type of poetic foot that is represented. Example: ˘ / Type of Poetic Foot: Create cre – ate Iamb Extreme Hero Poetry Overdue Candle Interfere

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Now we are going to practice METER. A meter refers to the repetition of each foot. Monometer – one poetic foot in a line Pentameter – five poetic feet in a line Dimeter – two poetic feet in a line Hexameter – six poetic feet in a line Trimeter – three poetic feet in a line Heptameter – seven poetic feet in a line Tetrameter – four poetic feet in a line Octameter – eight poetic feet in a line Each of these words are combined with the adjective form of the name of the type of poetic foot that is being used creating phrases such as “Iambic Pentameter,” or “Trochaic Octometer.” (The other adjectival forms are “dactylic” and “anapestic.”) WHEN TO STRESS To stress, or not to stress: That is the question. Sometimes it’s obvious, sometimes not so obvious. Every polysyllabic word has at least one stressed syllable in it, but what about monosyllables? It always depends on context; there is no absolute rule I can give you that will work in every situation. Usually article-noun combinations (“the car,” “a bird”) are iambs, and prepositional phrases (“of my life,” “in a bind”) are anapests, but sometimes the rest of the line can change that. Always look at the entire line when determining meter. The best way I know of to determine whether stresses are where you think they are is to read the line aloud and over-emphasize the syllables that seem to be stressed. If it sounds very wrong, it probably is wrong. If, with the over-emphasis, it sounds like it might work, it’s probably right. If you have a good ear, read the line normally and listen for rises in volume in your voice (or have someone else read the line and listen for where they put the stress). Unfortunately I can’t demonstrate this in a textual format. One method of practice is to look at song lyrics and listen to the performed song. In song, stressed syllables are often accompanied by equally stressed notes, which provide an audible clue. Listen to your favorite song while looking at the lyrics, and see if you can find the meter. Take a look at the following lyrics and mark each syllable according to stress.

Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now I’m found; Was blind, but now I see.

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EFFECTS OF METER Different base meters have different sounds, and thus they each affect the reader differently. Iambic meters tend to sound natural, as English tends to sway toward alternating syllables. Love songs, odes, and monologues are generally written in iambic meter. Trochaic meter is the mirror image of iambic, and also sounds somewhat natural, though more urgent as the initial stresses hit hard. Rap, marching cadences, and many nursery rhymes often use trochaic meter. Anapests are essentially extended iambs, and tend to sound more songlike. Anapestic lines usually include an initial iambic substitution (we’ll go over substitutions later). Limericks, most of Dr. Seuss’s poems (and other children’s poetry), and many songs tend use anapestic meter. Dactylic meter is rare, as it nearly always slips into anapestic meter. The Iliad and Odyssey were originally written in dactylic hexameter. EXAMPLES

/ stressed syllable ˘ unstressed syllable | division between feet ˘ / | ˘ / | ˘ / | ˘ / | ˘ / - iambic pentameter Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks - William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 116” / ˘ | / ˘ | / ˘ | / ˘ - trochaic tetrameter Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater - Nursery rhyme ˘ ˘ / | ˘ ˘ / | ˘ ˘ / | ˘ ˘ / - anapestic tetrameter Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot - Dr. Seuss, “The Lorax”

/ ˘ ˘ | / ˘ ˘ | / ˘ ˘ | / ˘ ˘ | / ˘ ˘ - dactylic pentameter Picture yourself in a boat on a river with tangerine - The Beatles, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”

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Name:

METER EXERCISE Time to test your knowledge! Write out each line and mark each syllable according to stress. Then determine the type of meter that is being used. 1. Tell me not in mournful numbers - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “A Psalm of Life” 2. I have been one acquainted with the night - Robert Frost, “Acquainted with the Night” 3. Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary - Edgar Allan Poe, “The Raven” 4. ’Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house - Clement Clarke Moore, “The Night Before Christmas” 5. Condemned whole years in absence to deplore - Alexander Pope, “Eloise to Abelard” 6. Willows whiten, aspens quiver - Alfred Lord Tennyson, “The Lady of Shalott”

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7. That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall - Robert Browning, “My Last Duchess” 8. Everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers that grow so incredibly - Lennon and McCartney, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” 9. While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping - Nursery rhyme 10. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? - William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 17”

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WRITING EXERCISE - BLANK VERSE Now that you can recognize the main types of meter, I want to see if you can apply it. So give me a poem. I’m looking for 10 to 15 lines of unrhymed iambic pentameter--this is just a meter exercise, so don’t try to rhyme; we’ll get to that later. The subject is completely up to you, so feel free to get creative.

Sample:

I want a poem that has a seamless flow Of iambs, five per line, and no rhyme, please. The meter’s what I’m looking for; don’t be Afraid if you don’t think it’s something you Can do--just try; I’m sure it will work out. Iambic meter isn’t hard to write; The hard part might instead be to suppress The urge to rhyme (I know it’s hard for me). We will be rhyming soon enough, so try To write in pure, exact, iambic verse. It doesn’t have to make much sense; just write!

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Multiple Choice Record Sheet POETRY SELECTIONS

Date M/D

Title

# Total

# Right

# Wrong

Raw Score %

Adjusted Score

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