Download Module 2: Poetry

2.1.Poetry:why?
Eventhoughapoemmaybeshort,
mostofthetimeyoucan’treadit
fast.
It’slikemolasses.Orketchup.
Withpoetry,therearesomany
thingstotakeintoconsideration.
Thereistheaspectofhowit
sounds,ofwhatitmeans,and
oftenofhowitlooks.
Insomecircles,thereisa
certainaversiontopoetry.
Someconsideritoutdated,
toodifficult,ornotworth
thetime.
Theyask:Whydoesittake
solongtoreadsomethingso
short?
Well,yes,itisifyouareused
toTwitter,ornotusedto
poetry.
Thinkabouttheconnections
poetryhastomusic.Couldn’t
youconsidersomeofyour
favoritelyricspoetry?
2Pac,forexample,wrote a
bookofpoetrycalledTheRose
thatGrewfromConcrete.
Atmanypointsinhistory
acrossmanycultures,poetry
wasconsideredthehighest
formofexpression.
Whydopeoplewritepoetry?
Becausetheywanttoandbecause
theycan…
(takingtheideafromFedericoGarcía
Lorcaenhispoem“Lucía Martínez”:
“porque quiero,yporque puedo”)
Youaskyourself:WhydoIneedto
readpoetry?
Becauseyouaregoingtotakethe
CLEPexam.
Onceyoumovebeyondthat,itwillbe
easier.
Somereasonswhywe
write/readpoetry:
• Tobecomeaware
• Toseethingsinadifferent
way
• Toputtogetheramental
jigsawpuzzle
• Tomovethesenses
• Toprovokeemotions
• Tofindorder
2.2.Poetry:how?
Ifyouarenotfamiliar
withpoetry,youshould
definitelypractice
readingsomebefore
youtaketheexam.
Herearesomeideasof
whatyoucando:
• Makealistofpoems
youknow.Thiscanbe
fromanythingfrom
nurseryrhymesto
songlyricstoclassic
poems.Thinkabout
whatmightlink them
topoetryandwhat
separatesthemfrom
othertypesofwriting.
• Findaclassicpoem
unknowntoyou.Youcan
selectoneoftheones
mentionedinthisclassor
onefromananthologyof
poetry.Thereasonwhyitis
recommendedthatyou
takeonefromananthology
isbecauseitsselectionof
poemsismorelikelyto
havemorethingstolookat.
• Whatyoushouldlook
forinthepoem: rhyme,
punctuation,grammar,
wordselection,
rhetoricaltechniques,
multiplemeanings.
• Writeyourownpoem.
Thinkaboutwhat
makesiteasyorhard
foryoutowriteit.
Evenifyouhavehadlittle
exposuretopoetryinthe
past,myaimisthatas
youreviewthismaterial
multipletimes,youwill
understandmoreabout
poetryandrecognize
poetsandpoemsinthe
process.
2.3.Poetry:tone
Thetone ofthepoemcanbelike
thetoneofanythingelse,andonly
afewwordscanswaythefeeling:
RobertFrost,“TheRoadNot
Taken”
Ishallbetellingthiswithasigh
Somewhereagesandageshence:
HenryDavidThoreau,“Inspiration”
Aclearandancientharmony
Piercesmysoulthroughallitsdin
DylanThomas,“NotFromThis
Anger”
Notfromthisanger,anticlimax
after
Refusalstruckherloinandthe
lameflower
Bentlikeabeasttolapthesingular
floods
Inalandstrappedbyhunger
Shallshereceiveabellyfulofweeds
Hafiz,“AlltheHemispheres”
OpenuptotheRoof.
Makeanewwater-markonyour
excitement
Andlove.
Likeabloomingnightflower,
Bestowyourvitalfragranceof
Happinessandgiving
Uponourintimateassembly.
Thetone ofthepoemcanvary
greatly.
Checkouttheamountof
differenttonesthepoemcan
takeonintheCanadianPoetry
inVoicewebsite!
http://www.poetryinvoice.co
m/teachers/lessonplans/tone-map/tone-list
2.4.Poetry:verseandrhyme
Let’stakealookatallthese
componentsofverseand
rhyme:
verse
stanza
rhymescheme
endrhyme/internalrhyme
slantrhyme
masculinerhyme/feminine
rhyme
– freeverse
– blankverse
–
–
–
–
–
–
Verseandstanza:
– Verse:averseisaline
inapoem
– Stanza:astanzaisa
groupofverses,likea
“paragraph”withina
poem,manytimes
withsomesortof
meterandorder.
Verseandstanza
EmilyDickinson, “ABird,camedownthe
Walk”
ABird,camedowntheWalkHedidnotknowIsawHebitanAngleWorminhalves
Andatethefellow,raw,
Andthen,hedrankaDew
FromaconvenientGrassAndthenhoppedsidewisetotheWall
ToletaBeetlepass-
Rhymescheme– arhymescheme
isapatternthattherhymesina
poemfollow.Hereareafew
examples:
ABABrhyme
RobertFrost,“NeitherOutFarNor
Deep”
Thepeoplealong thesand
Allturn andlookoneway.
They turn their backontheland.
They lookat thesea allday.
Anotherexample:
ABBArhyme
JohnMilton,“OnHisBeingArrived
totheAgeofTwenty-Three”
Perhapsmysemblancemight
deceivethetruth,
ThatItomanhoodamarrivedso
near,
Andinwardripenessdothmuchless
appear,
Thatsomemoretimely-happy
spiritsindu’th.
InternalrhymeandEnd
rhyme
Internalrhyme:
EdgarAllenPoe,TheRaven
Onceuponamidnight
dreary,whileIpondered,
weakandweary,
InternalrhymeandEndrhyme
Endrhyme:
WilliamBlake,“TheAngel”
Idreamtadream!Whatcanitmean?
AndthatIwasamaidenQueen
GuardedbyanAngelmild:
Witlesswoewasne'erbeguiled!
Aslantrhyme(also
calledhalfrhyme,near
rhyme,imperfect
rhyme,obliquerhyme)
iswhenthestressed
syllablesofthe
consonantsmatchbut
theprecedingvowels
don’t:
Slantrhyme:
EmilyDickinson,“HopeIstheThing
withFeathers”
"Hope"isthethingwithfeathers
Thatperchesinthesoul
Andsingsthetunewithoutthewords
Andneverstopsatall,
Thisisnotonlyfoundinpoetry,but
alsoinhip-hop.ArtistslikeNotorious
B.I.G.andNas haveusedit.
Masculineand
Femininerhyme.These
arenotmodernterms,
butyoumayruninto
theminyourstudies.
Femininerhyme(double rhyme): arhyme
thatmatchestwoormoresyllables.The
finalsyllable(s)is/areunstressed, anditis
usuallyattheendof theline.
WilliamWordsworth, “London, 1802”
Milton!thoushouldst belivingatthishour:
Englandhathneedofthee:sheisafen
Ofstagnantwaters:altar,sword,andpen,
Fireside,theheroicwealthofhalland
bower,
HaveforfeitedtheirancientEnglishdower
Masculinerhyme:arhymethatmatches
onlyone syllable.Usually,thefinalsyllable
is stressed,anditisusually attheendof
theline.Thesearethemajorityofall
rhymesinEnglish-language poetry.
JohnDonne, “Deathbenotproud”
Death,benotproud,though somehave
calledthee
Mightyanddreadful, forthouartnotso;
Forthosewhomthouthink'st thoudost
overthrow
Dienot,poorDeath,noryetcanstthoukill
me.
Fromrestandsleep,whichbutthypictures
be,
Freeverse(fromvers libre inFrench)
Itdoesn’tfollowaregular meterorrhythm.It’sthe
closestformtoimitating conversation.
Walt Whitman,“ANoiseless,PatientSpider”
Anoiseless, patientspider,
Imark’d,where,onalittle promontory,itstood,
isolated;
Mark’d how,toexplore thevacant,vastsurrounding,
Itlaunch’d forthfilament, filament,filament,outof
itself;
Everunreeling them—evertirelessly speeding them.
Blankverse
Thisisaversethatdoesnotrhyme,written
iniambicpentameter(10syllables).Itis
usedinpoemsanddramas.Itisoftenused
incharactermonologues.
WilliamShakespeare,“Macbeth”
Tomorrow, andtomorrow,andtomorrow,
Creepsinthispettypacefrom daytoday,
Tothelastsyllableofrecordedtime;
Andallouryesterdayshavelightedfools
2.5.Poetry:meter
Meter:
– meter
– iambicpentameter
– iambicmeter
– iambicfoot
– anapest
– trochee
Themeter isthepatternof
stressedwordsinaverse.Reading
aloudifpossibleisbetterthanin
yourheadbecausethestressfalls
onsyllables.Naturalspeechusually
fallsonthestresspoints.
Shakespeare,“Sonnet18”
ShallI compare theeto asummer’s
day?
Ifthepatternisstressedthenunstressedin
sequence, thenthatiscallediambic
rhythm.Ifthewholeversefollowsthis
structure,thenthat’sreferredtoasthe
iambicmeter.Themostcommon ofthese
istheiambicpentameter (five stresses,ten
syllablesinall).
JohnMilton, ParadiseLost
Invokethyaidtomyadventuroussong,
Thatwithnomiddleflightintendstosoar.
Ifaniambicpentameterhas5
stressedsyllables,howmay
stressesdothesehave?:
• Hexameter
• Diameter
• Heptameter
• Octameter
• Tetrameter
• Monometer
• Trimeter
Ifaniambicpentameterhas5
stressedsyllables,howmay
stressesdothesehave?:
• Hexameter- 6
• Diameter- 2
• Heptameter- 7
• Octameter - 8
• Tetrameter- 4
• Monometer-1
• Trimeter - 3
Othertypesofmeterare:
Anapest – unstressed,unstressed,
stressed:
Twas thenightbeforeChristmas
whenallthroughthehouse.
Trochee – stressed,unstressed:
Double,double,toilandtrouble;
Fireburnandcauldronbubble.
2.6.1Poetry:form
Form isthedesignofa
poem.
Closedform(fixedform)
followsasetdesignin
meterandverse.Poets
mustfollowthepatterns
andstructurewiththis
form.Anexampleofthis
isthesonnet (explained
infutureslides):
Openform poetry,asthename
holds,doesnotfollowtherules
ofestablishedpoeticstructures
ofmeterandverse.Thereare
noregularstanzastructures.
Sometimestheycanbetricky
becausetheymayhavesome
elementsofpatterninsoundor
words.Openformissometimes
consideredfreeverse,but
othersdisagreeandstatethat
therearesomedifferences.
Concretepoetry,also
calledshapepoetry,is
whenthepoemitself
takesonaphysicalform.
Thiscanhelpthereader
understandmoreofthe
poet’sthinking.
Concretepoetry:Hereisan
exampleofGuillaumede
Apollinaire’sCalligrammes
from1918.
2.6.2Poetry:typesofpoetry
Differenttypesofpoems
• sonnet
• octave/sestet/quatrains/couplets
• heroic couplet
• alexandrine
• mock-heroic
• epic
• ballads– ballad stanza,literary ballads
• elegy
• ode
• villanelle
• epigram
• doggerel
• limerick
• Aubade
2.6.2.1Poetry:typesofpoetrySonnet
Thesonnet isperhapsthe
mostfamousofpoetry
forms.Theyare14lines,
usuallyiniambic
pentameter. Thereare
twotypesofmain
sonnets,thePetrarchan
sonnetandthe
Shakespeareansonnet.
ThePetrarchansonnet
isapoemmadeuptwo
majorsections,amajor
groupof8lines(the
octave)andaminor
groupofsixlines(the
sestet).Therhyme
schemeisusuallyabba
abba cde cde.
Petrarchansonnet
Milton,“OnHisBlindness”
WhenIconsiderhowmylightisspent(a)
Erehalfmydays,inthisdarkworldandwide,(b)
Andthatonetalentwhichisdeathtohide,(b)
Lodgedwithmeuseless,thoughmysoulmorebent
(a)
ToservetherewithmyMaker,andpresent(a)
Mytrueaccount,lesthereturningchide;(b)
"DothGodexactday-labor,lightdenied?"(b)
Ifondlyask;butPatiencetoprevent(a)
Thatmurmur,soonreplies,"Goddothnotneed(c)
Either man'sworkorhisowngifts;whobest(d)
Bearhismildyoke,theyservehimbest.Hisstate(e)
IsKingly.Thousandsathisbiddingspeed(c)
Andposto'erlandandoceanwithoutrest;(d)
Theyalsoservewhoonlystandandwait."(e)
TheShakespearean
sonnetisapoemmade
upthreequatrains(a
verseoffourlines)anda
couplet(averseoftwo
lines).Therhyme
schemeusuallyisabab
cdcd efef gg.
Shakespeareansonnet
Shalespeare, “SonnetIX”
Isitforfeartowetawidow'seye
Thatthouconsumest thyselfinsinglelife?
Ah!ifthouissuelessshalthaptodie.
Theworldwillwailthee,likeamakeless wife;
Theworldwillbethywidowandstillweep
Thatthounoformoftheehastleftbehind,
Wheneveryprivatewidowwell maykeep
Bychildren'seyesherhusband'sshapeinmind.
Look,whatanunthriftintheworlddothspend
Shiftsbuthisplace,forstill theworldenjoysit;
Butbeauty'swastehathintheworldanend,
Andkeptunused,theusersodestroysit.
Nolovetowardothersinthatbosomsits
Thatonhimselfsuchmurderousshamecommits.
Octave – eightlinesofiambic
pentameter(orof
hendecasyllables– 11syllablesin the Italianstyle).Themost
commonrhymeschemeisabba
abba.It’sthefirstpartofa
Shakespeareansonnet.
Sestet – generallythesecond
divisionofaShakespearean
sonnet,whichconsistsof6lines.
2.6.2.2.Poetry:typesofpoetry–
somemorestanzas
Quatrain – thiscanbea
stanzaoratypeof
poemthatconsistsof4
lines.
Couplet – twolines
usuallywiththesame
rhymeandmeter
Fromthecouplettheheroic
coupletemerged.Thisisa
traditionalformforEnglishpoetry
whichwasusedinnarrativeand
epicpoetry.Youcanseethis
exampleinGeoffreyChaucer’s
CanterburyTales:
Whan thataprill withhisshoures
soote
Thedroghte ofmarchhathperced
totheroote,
2.6.2.3.Poetry:typesofpoetryEpicpoetry
Theepicpoemisalong
narrativepoemusually
abouttheheroicdeedsof
apersonornation,like
Homer’sTheOdysseyor
TheIliad.Thesearesuper
long,soIwouldimagine
youwouldonlybegiven
anexcerpttoanalyze.
Theepicpoemisusually
intheformofacouplet
withthesamerhyme
structure,asthatwasthe
easiestwayforthe
travellingbardstosing
themastheywentfrom
towntotowninmedieval
times.
Themockepic(mock
heroic)iswritteninheroic
couplets,asweseehere
withAlexanderPope’s,
“theRapeoftheLock”
Thislock,theMuseshall
consecratetofame,
Andmid’st thestars
inscribeBelinda’sname!
2.6.2.4.Poetry:typesofpoetryBallads
Anotheroldtypeofpoetryis
theballad.Theseweresungin
medievaltimesandhavebeen
populareversince.Theyare
usuallyanonymousandnot
complicated.Theversesare
generallyshortandnarratea
personalstoryaboutlove,
hate,knights,fantasy,etc.Like
theepic,theygenerallyhold
simpleformandrepetition.
HereweseeanoldEnglishballad entitled
“TheDouglasTragedy”
"RISEup,riseup,now,LordDouglas," she
says,
"And putonyourarmour sobright;
SweetWilliamwillhae LadyMargaretawi'
Beforethatitbelight.
"Riseup,riseup,mysevenboldsons,
Andputonyourarmour sobright,
Andtakebettercareofyouryoungestsistèr,
Foryoureldest's awa'thelastnight."
Fromtheballadtheredeveloped
theballadstanza,whichisacbc
rhymeoffourlines.Iand3have
eightsyllablesand2and4have6.
HerewehaveSamuelTaylor
Cooleridge in“TheRimeofthe
AncientMariner”:
Allinahotandcoppersky!
ThebloodySun,atnoon,
Rightupabovethemastdid
stand,
NobiggerthantheMoon.
2.6.2.5.Poetry:typesofpoetryLyricalpoetry
Aristotlepointedout
threebroadcategories
ofpoetry:dramatic,
narrativeandlyrical.We
havediscussednarrative
poetrytoacertain
extent,asseeinepic
poetry.Let’stakealook
nowatlyricalpoetry.
FromGreektimesto
moderntimes,lyrical
poetryhasbeenpopular
withmanypoetsbecause
itinvolvesemotionsand
feelings.Itismore
personalthanother
typesofpoetryandis
mostlyinfirstperson.
Onetypeoflyricalpoemis
theelegy.Itisasadpoem
usuallywrittentopraiseor
weepforsomeonewho
haspassed.Itissimilarto
theeulogy,whichisa
speechforsomeoneata
funeral.Elegiescanalsobe
aboutalostloveoralost
time.
Anothertypeoflyrical
poemistheode,similar
totheelegy,butusually
topraisesomeoneor
something.Itisnot
limitedtothethemeof
deathorloss.Itcanhave
complexstanzaforms
andtherearemany
typesofodes.
HerewehavepartofJohn
Keat’s,“OdetoaNightingale”:
Myheartaches,andadrowsy
numbnesspains
Mysense,asthoughof
hemlockIhaddrunk,
Oremptiedsomedullopiateto
thedrains
Oneminutepast,and
Lethe-wardshadsunk:
'Tis notthroughenvyofthy
happylot,
Anotherpoeticformisthe
villanelle.Ithasnineteen
linesoffivetercets (a
stanzaofthreelines)
followedbyaquatrain (a
stanzaoffourlines).
Therearetworefrains (a
linerepeatedinverse)
andtworepeatinglines.
Thisisafixedverseform.
Hereisanexampleofthevillanelle.
ThisisSylviaPlath’s“MadGirl’sLove
Song”
Ishutmyeyesandalltheworlddrops
dead,
Iliftmylidsandallisbornagain.
(IthinkImadeyouupinsidemyhead)
Thestarsgowaltzingoutinblueand
red,
Andarbitrarydarknessgallopsin.
Ishutmyeyesandalltheworlddrops
dead.
2.6.2.6.Poetry:typesofpoetrySestina
Evenmoreconfininginits
formthanthevillanelleisthe
sestina.Itisaclosedformof
sixstanzasofsixlineseach,
followedbythreelines.The
endwordsofeachverseof
thefirststanzaarethenused
toendsubsequentstanzas,
rotatedinapattern
Hereisthepatternofthe
sestina:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
123456
615243
364125
532614
451362
246531
(62)(14)(53)
Here isanexample ofthesestina inW.H.Auden’s
“Paysage Moralisé” (firsttwostanzasonly):
Hearingofharvestsrottinginthevalleys,
Seeingatendofstreetthebarrenmountains,
Roundcornerscomingsuddenlyonwater,
Knowingthemshipwreckedwhowerelaunchedfor
islands,
Wehonour foundersofthesestarvingcities
Whosehonour istheimageofoursorrow,
Whichcannotseeitslikenessintheirsorrow
Thatbroughtthemdesperatetothebrinkof
valleys;
Dreamingofeveningwalksthroughlearnedcities
Theyreinedtheirviolenthorsesonthemountains,
Thosefieldslikeshipstocastawaysonislands,
Visionsofgreentothemwhocravedforwater.
2.6.2.7.Poetry:typesofpoetry–
others
TheAlexandrineverseis
aclassicFrenchverse
fromthe12th century
thathasbeenusedover
timebyotherpoets.
Mostalexandrinesare
madeupoftwo
hemistich sections(these
arehalflines)ofsix
syllableseach.
Thesetwosectionsarebroken
upbyacaesura (awordbreak
orasyntacticbreak).Theyare
rareinEnglish,buttheydo
exist.HereisoneinFrenchby
NicolasBoileau,inL’Art
poétique:
Que toujours, dans vos vers lesens coupant les
mots,
Suspende l'hémistiche,enmarquelerepos.
Anepigram isashort,
wittysayinginversewith
asatiricaltwistatthe
end.Famouspoetssuch
asJohnDonne,Alexander
Pope,LordByron,Ezra
Pound,Voltaire,William
ButlerYeats,among
others,wrotethem.Here
isonebyTaylor
Coleridge:
Sir,Iadmityourgeneral
rule,
Thateverypoetisa
fool,
Butyouyourselfmay
servetoshowit,
Thateveryfoolisnota
poet.
Adoggerel isapoem
thathasanirregular
rhythmandrhyme,
sometimesonpurpose,
sometimesnot.
Adoggerelexample.ByWilliamMcGonagall’s“TheTay BridgeDisaster”:
Itmusthavebeenanawfulsight,
Towitnessintheduskymoonlight,
WhiletheStormFienddidlaugh,andangrydidbray,
AlongtheRailwayBridgeoftheSilv’ry Tay,
Oh!ill-fatedBridgeoftheSilv’ry Tay,
Imustnowconcludemylay
Bytellingtheworldfearlesslywithouttheleastdismay,
Thatyourcentralgirderswouldnothavegivenway,
Atleastmanysensiblemendosay,
Hadtheybeensupportedoneachsidewithbuttresses,
Atleastmanysensiblemenconfesses,
Forthestrongerweourhousesdobuild,
Thelesschancewehaveofbeingkilled.
Adoggerelwrittenonpurposeisthe
limerick.Thisisastanzaoffivelines.
Thefirst,secondandfifthlines
rhyme.Hereisananonymousone:
Thereoncewasayoungladynamed
bright
Whosespeedwasmuchfasterthan
light
Shesetoutoneday
Inarelativeway
Andreturnedonthepreviousnight.
Somepoetrystyles
connectedwiththetimeof
dayaretheaubade andthe
serenade.Theaubade isa
morninglovesong/poem,or
oneaboutloversin
separationatthathour.The
serenade istheeveninglove
song/poem.Hereisan
excerptofJohnDonne’s
aubade “TheRisingSun”:
Aubade
Busyoldfool,unrulysun,
Whydostthouthus,
Throughwindows,andthrough
curtainscallonus?
Musttothymotionslovers'
seasons run?
2.7Poetry:meaning
Denotation –thedirect
meaningofawordor
expression.Itisthe
explicitandliteral
meaningofthatword.
Connotation – the
indirectmeaningofthe
word,whatisimplied.
Denotationand
connotation
Thinkaboutthe
differencebetweenthese
words:
House/home
Expensive/pricey
Slender/thin/skinny
Denotationandconnotation
GustavoAdolfoBécquer,“RimaVII”
Inthedarkcorneroftheroom,
perhapsforgottenbyitsowner,
silentandcoveredwithdust,
onecanseeaharp.
Howmanynotessleepinitscords,
likethebirdthatsleepsinthe
branches,
waitingforasnowywhitehand
thatcanawakenthem!
Symbol – whenthe
wordsrepresenta
concept,relationshipor
object.
Somestocksymbolsare
easilyrecognizable:the
rose,aflag,askull,white,
etc.
Thenextlevelis
observingsymbolsin
poetry,Checkoutthis
poem“PoeticArt”by
VicenteHuidobro:
Verseislikeakey
Thatopensathousanddoors
Apageturns,somethingtakesflight
Howmany believingeyeslook
Andthehearingsoulremainstrembling
Inventnewworldsandcarefortheirword
Theadjective,whenitdoesnotgivelife,kills
Weareinacycleofnerves
Themusclecluster,
LikeIremember, inthemuseums;
Nomoredobutwehavelessforce;
Thetruevigor
Residesinthemind
Whydoyoutherose,ohpoets!
Itwillflourishinthepoem
Onlyforus
Liveallthingsunderthesun
Thepoetisasmallgod.
Think,forexample,
about:
• Denotation
• Connotation
• Symbol
Fortheword“Table”
2.8Poetry:
moreonconstruction
Whatmakesapoema
poem?Mostofall
languageandhowitis
used.Atthebeginningof
allthis,Isaidthatpoetry
waslikemolasses,or
ketchup.Thatwouldbe
anexampleoffigurative
language.
Wealwayshavetothink
aboutdiction (wordchoice)
andsyntax (grammar).
Dictionisalwaysimportant.
Modernpoets,however,
havehadmoreflexibilityin
manipulatingsyntax
becausetheyarenot
restrictedbyclosedform.
Checkoutthispoem“To
Roosevelt”byRubénDarío
ItiswiththevoiceoftheBible,ortheverseofWaltWhitman,
thatIshouldcometoyou,Hunter,
primitiveandmodern,simpleandcomplicated,
withsomethingofWashingtonandmoreofNimrod.
YouaretheUnitedStates,
youarethefutureinvader
ofthenaiveAmericathathasIndianblood,
thatstillpraystoJesusChristandstillspeaksSpanish.
Youaretheproudandstrongexemplarofyourrace;
youarecultured,youareskillful;youopposeTolstoy.
Andbreakinghorses,ormurderingtigers,
youareanAlexander-Nebuchadnezzar.
(YouareaprofessorofEnergy
astoday'smadmensay.)
Youthinkthatlifeisfire,t
hatprogressiseruption,
thatwhereveryoushoot
youhitthefuture.
No.
TheUnitedStatesispotentandgreat.
Whenyoushakethereisadeeptremblor
Gettingbacktotalking
aboutrhymes,theseare
twowordsyoushould
learn:
Assonance and
Consonance
Assonance istherepetition
ofvowelsoundssothat
thereisinternalrhymingin
verses.Hereisanexample
byE.E.Cummings:
Onaproudroundcloudin
whitehighnight
Consonance isthe
repetitionofidenticalor
similarconsonants.Thisis
thecounterpartof
assonance.Hereisan
examplefromWilliam
Blake’s“TheChimney
Sweeper”
WhenmymotherdiedIwas
veryyoung,
Andmyfathersoldme
whileyetmytongue
Couldscarcelycry"'weep!
'weep!'weep!'weep!"
SoyourchimneysIsweep&
insootIsleep.
2.9Poetry:
Rhetoricaltechniques
Metaphor– afigureof
speechthatrefersto
onethingby
mentioninganother.
“Alltheworld’sastage”
“Pig”(deadmetaphor)
Simile– a
comparisonusing
“like”or“as”.
“Yourteetharelike
pearls”
Allusion – afigureof
speechthatmakes
referencetoanevent,a
placeoraperson.
“ThatisherAchilles’heel.”
“WhatanEdenthatplace
was.”
Personification– giving
humancharacteristicsto
athingoranabstraction.
“Thewindcarriedme
home”
“Thesuncreptthrough
theshades.”
Alliterationisthe
repetitionofsimilar
sounds(likewesawin
consonanceand
assonance)
“Shesellsseashellsby
theseashore”
Apostropheiswhenawriter
detachesherselffromrealityand
talkstoanimaginarycharacter,
likewiththisexamplefrom
Macbeth:
IsthisadaggerwhichIseebefore
me,
Thehandletowardmyhand?
Come,letmeclutchthee!
Ihavetheenot,andyetIseethee
still.
Hyperbole– an
exaggeration
(overstatement).
“I’mstarving”
“Iwasgoing1000miles
anhourtogethereon
time”
Irony– whenintended
meaningisdifferent
formactualmeaning.
Whensomeoneputs
theirhighbeamsin
yourface,yousay,
“Great,nowIcansee
better”
Metonymy – whena
thingorconceptisnot
calledbyitsnamebut
ratherbyametonym.
“Dish”
“IvyLeague”
Onomatopoeia– the
formationofwordsthat
soundliketheobjectto
whichtheyrefer.
“Chickadee”
“Bobwhite”
“Buzz”
“Cuckoo”
Oxymoron– whena
seeminglyselfcontradictoryeffectis
produced.
“Prettyugly”
“Jumboshrimp”
“Darklight”
Paradox – anotherselfcontradictorystatement,
butonethatmightexpress
atruth.Forexample,from
GeorgeOrwell’sAnimal
Farm”
"Allanimalsareequal,but
somearemoreequalthan
others"
Sarcasm - theuseofwords
thatmeantheoppositeof
whatyouwanttosay,usually
toshowirritationorbefunny.
“IworkaroundtheclocksoI
canbepoor”
“Notthesharpesttoolinthe
shed”
Synecdoche– when
thepartistakenforthe
whole,orviceversa.
“Nicewheels”
“Askforherhandin
marriage”
Answerthesegeneralquestionsonpoetry(fromthe
sametext)
• https://clep.collegeboard.org/exam/literature/questio
ns/6
• https://clep.collegeboard.org/exam/literature/questio
ns/7
• https://clep.collegeboard.org/exam/literature/questio
ns/8
• https://clep.collegeboard.org/exam/literature/questio
ns/9
Answerquestions6-10(whichareallfromthe
sametext)onpoetryfromtheCLEP2016
ExaminationGuideonAnalyzingand
InterpretingLiterature.
Answerquestions1-10ofthe“20supplemental
questions”