•Poets construct poems on purposePoets construct poems on purpose•Every word and space has meaningEvery word and space has meaning•All aspects (parts) of a poem All aspects (parts) of a poem contribute to the meaningcontribute to the meaning•Most poems Most poems

have many have many

layers to uncoverlayers to uncover

How They Put It Together

ELEMENTS TO ELEMENTS TO ANALYZEANALYZE

• Visual ElementsVisual Elements• Lyric DevicesLyric Devices• Literal MeaningLiteral Meaning• Figurative MeaningFigurative Meaning• ImageryImagery• Historical contextHistorical context• ThemeTheme

We look at these parts to determine the meaning of the poem—some poets do not make use of all devices.

As we investigate each part of the poem, we must ask, “why did the poet make use of this device?” “How does it contribute to the poem’s meaning?”

VISUAL VISUAL ELEMENTSELEMENTS• Before we even read, do we notice anything visually about the poem?

- Is the shape unique?

- Do we notice any different uses of punctuation or of another convention?

The Negro Speaks of RiversLangston Hughes

I've known rivers: I've known rivers: I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the

flow of human blood in human veins. flow of human blood in human veins.

My soul has grown deep like the rivers. My soul has grown deep like the rivers. I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young. I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young. I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep. sleep. I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.above it. I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln

went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset. bosom turn all golden in the sunset.

I've known rivers: I've known rivers: Ancient, dusky rivers. Ancient, dusky rivers.

My soul has grown deep like the riversMy soul has grown deep like the rivers.

Shaped like the flow of a river

?

Night Practice

                    

         

Iwill

rememberwith my breath

to make a mountain,with my sucked-in breath

a valley, with my pushed-outbreath a mountain. I will make

a valley wider than the whisper, Iwill make a higher mountain than the

cry,will with my will breathe a mountain. I

willwith my will breathe a valley. I will push

outa mountain, suck in a valley, deeper than

the shoutYOU MUST DIE harder, heavier, sharper a

mountain thanthe truth YOU MUST DIE. I will remember.

My breath willmake a mountain. My will will remember

to will. I, suck-ing, pushing, I will breathe a valley, I will

breathe a mountain.

May Swenson

Emily DickinsonEmily Dickinson

I Never Saw a MoorI Never Saw a Moor

        5

in Just-

spring when the world is mud-

luscious the little lame baloonman whistles far and wee

and eddyandbill come running from marbles and piracies

and it's

spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer

old baloonman

whistles far and wee

and bettyandisbel

e e cummingse e cummings

In Just--In Just--

Both of these poems make unique use of conventions—we call this poetic license

I never saw a moor, I never saw the sea; Yet know I how the heather looks, And what a wave must be. I never spoke with God, Nor visited in heaven; Yet certain am I of the spot As if the chart were given.

VISUAL VISUAL ELEMENTSELEMENTS• Do we notice that the poem has a Do we notice that the poem has a specific number of lines or stanzas?specific number of lines or stanzas?• Does the number Does the number

of lines or stanzas of lines or stanzas

make us think that make us think that

it might be a specific it might be a specific

kind of poem [like kind of poem [like

haiku or a sonnet?haiku or a sonnet?

VISUAL ELEMENTSVISUAL ELEMENTSWe give stanzas of specific line length names

coupletcouplet

quatrain quatrain

sestetsestet

octaveoctave

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?Thou art more lovely and more temperate:Thou art more lovely and more temperate:Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,And summer's lease hath all too short a date:And summer's lease hath all too short a date:Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;And every fair from fair sometime declines,And every fair from fair sometime declines,By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;But thy eternal summer shall not fadeBut thy eternal summer shall not fadeNor lose possession of that fair thou owest;Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,When in eternal lines to time thou growest:When in eternal lines to time thou growest:So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,So long lives this and this gives life to thee.So long lives this and this gives life to thee.

Lyric devices are elements that a writer Lyric devices are elements that a writer makes use of to give his/her poem a makes use of to give his/her poem a pleasing soundpleasing sound

Think about the songs you like, or Think about the songs you like, or childhood stories, many of them had childhood stories, many of them had fun rhymes or repetitive soundsfun rhymes or repetitive sounds

Poetry is meant to be read out loud; Poetry is meant to be read out loud; therefore, it should sound pleasing to therefore, it should sound pleasing to the earthe ear

Rhyme is the most obvious lyric device• end rhyme• rhyme scheme (pattern)• internal rhyme• sight rhyme

Do you like green eggs and ham?

I do not like them

Sam-I-Am

I do not like Green Eggs

And ham.

We designate the end We designate the end sound with a letter of sound with a letter of the alphabet. Then we the alphabet. Then we use the letters to graph use the letters to graph a patterna pattern

Rhyme Scheme

Internal Rhyme

Sight Rhyme Internal Rhyme is rhyming within a line.

I awoke to I awoke to blackblack flakflak. .

Words that are spelled alike but that are pronounced differently—said and paid or again and rain.

Give me women, wine, and snuffUntil I cry out "hold, enough!"You may do so sans objectionTill the day of resurrection:

• Another important lyric device Another important lyric device is alliterationis alliteration• This is the repetition of same This is the repetition of same soundssounds• The words in a poem can start The words in a poem can start or end with the same soundor end with the same sound•AssonanceAssonance•Consonance Consonance

Six sleek swans swam swiftly southwards

• Repetition of words or phrases creates certain patterns or cadences of sound

The tide rises, the tide falls,The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;Along the sea-sands damp and brownThe traveler hastens toward the town,And the tide rises, the tide falls.

Darkness settles on roofs and walls,But the sea, the sea in darkness calls;The little waves, with their soft, white handsEfface the footprints in the sands,And the tide rises, the tide falls.

The morning breaks; the steeds in their stallsStamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;The day returns, but nevermoreReturns the traveler to the shore.And the tide rises, the tide falls.

The Tide Rises, the The Tide Rises, the Tide FallsTide Falls

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

LITERAL LITERAL MEANINGMEANING•Poems = many Poems = many layers of meaninglayers of meaning..• Literal meaning = first layer - Literal meaning = first layer - What is happening in the poem?What is happening in the poem?•What is the poem about?What is the poem about?•ParaphraseParaphrase [summarize in his/her [summarize in his/her own words]own words]• Long poems can be paraphrased Long poems can be paraphrased line by line or stanza by stanza in line by line or stanza by stanza in order to be understoodorder to be understood

FIGURATIVE FIGURATIVE MEANINGMEANING• Figurative devices contribute Figurative devices contribute to a deeper or secondary layer to a deeper or secondary layer of meaningof meaning•Metaphor/simileMetaphor/simile•AllusionAllusion•Symbolism Symbolism

METAPHORS AND METAPHORS AND SIMILESSIMILES

Metaphor Simile

He is a fox

The car is a cell

I am hot for her

She runs like the wind

Clouds like cotton candy

The rain is falling like cats and dogs.

A metaphor = direct comparison

A simile = indirect comparison.

The two objects in a metaphor are equal and the objects in a simile are

comparable

Allusion Allusion - - a reference to something outside the poem. Usually a reference to something outside the poem. Usually reference is mythological, biblical, historical, literary, or from current reference is mythological, biblical, historical, literary, or from current events.events.

Pollyanna—simplistically looks at the bright side (novel by Eleanor H. Porter)

Stork = associated with new births

“Tilting at windmills" = a literary allusion to the story of Don Quixote (by Miguel Cervantes)

Opening Pandora’s box = An act that might let loose many unforeseen and unmanageable problems —[Greek Mythology]

Symbolism Symbolism – when an object – when an object stands for another object or idea stands for another object or idea

Universal Universal SymbolsSymbols

Particular Particular SymbolsSymbols

When a symbol has basically the same meaning to people of various geographies, time periods and cultures

When a symbol has a unique meaning to a specific group of people and various meanings depending on the group interpreting it.

SymbolismSymbolismColors are often symbolic

RoyaltyNature/ecologyDeath/sorrowDanger

Purity/innocence

Other common symbols

As are seasons…

IMAGERYIMAGERYDetails which use the five senses to describe a vivid mental picture

"Holes in my confidence, holes in the knees of my jeans.”

--Paul Simon

"I was as empty of life as a

scarecrow's pockets." --Raymond Chandler

She may be the face I can't forget The trace of pleasure or regret May be my treasure or the price I have to pay She may be the song that summer sings May be the chill that autumn brings May be a hundred different things Within the measure of a day

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door." 'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door;Only this, and nothing more."

The Raven--Edgar Allan Poe

What images can you pick out of this poem? What tone do they evoke?

The Raven Edgar Allan Poe

When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom'd,And the great star early droop'd iun the western sky in the night,I mourn'd, and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.

Ever-returning spring trinity sure to me you bring,Lilac blooming perennial and drooping star in the west,

And thought of him I love.

--Walt Whitman If the reader didn’t know

this poem was written about Lincoln’s assassination, it

wouldn’t make as much sense.

POETRY IS AUDIO POETRY IS AUDIO EXPERIENCEEXPERIENCE

• But – before we do any of that But – before we do any of that

– we have to experience the poem– we have to experience the poem- we have to listen to the play of - we have to listen to the play of words and the rhythmwords and the rhythm• Think backwards from what you have Think backwards from what you have learned to do with poems.learned to do with poems.

So, what’s the Point?So, what’s the Point?

We analyze a poem We analyze a poem to find the meaning.to find the meaning.

We look at all of the We look at all of the parts to determine parts to determine the whole.the whole.

We pick it apart to We pick it apart to see what the poet see what the poet has hidden for us.has hidden for us.

WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE THEMETHEME

Theme = The message

What lesson, truth or message is the poet trying to impart to us? Usually it can be stated in one sentence. Theme is not the subject.

If you can point back to the poem and show where you got the theme, you cannot be wrong. However, some interpretations can be more right based on correct interpretation of symbolism, allusion or other parts of the poem.