7th grade

Poetry Unit

Poetry

A kind of rhythmic, compressed language that uses figures of speech and imagery designed to appeal to emotion and imagination

One of the oldest forms of communication Often sung Passed down from generation to generation Meant to be read aloud

– Read a poem several times to get the feel of it

Poetry v. Prose

Prose = anything that is not poetry

Poetry is a language which says more and says it more intensely than prose

Poets say the same thing as prose writers. . . They just say it with fewer words

The Implied

Poets often write with implied ideas.

That is. . . – Reader must make an educated

guess to the idea that is suggested– Make inferences

Numbering Lines in Poetry

5’s only

Battle in the Sky by Shel Silverstein

It wasn't quite day and it wasn't quite night,'Cause the sun and the moon were both in sight,A situation quite all rightWith everyone else but them.

5 So they both made remarks about who gave more lightAnd who was the brightest and prettiest sight,And the sun gave a bump and the moon gave a bite,And the terrible sky fight began.

With a scorch and a sizzle, a screech and a shout, 10 Across the great heavens they tumbled about,

And the moon had a piece of the sun in its mouth,While the sun burned the face of the moon.

And when it was over the moon was rubbed red,And the sun had a very bad lump on its head,

15 And all the next night the moon stayed home in bed,And the sun didn't come out 'til noon.

An Introduction to Literary Devices in Poetry

Some of these will be familiar to you, while others will be new1. Alliteration2. Personification3. Couplet 4. Refrain5. Image 6. Rhyme scheme7. Metaphor 8. Simile9. Onomatopoeia 10. Stanza

Literary Devices in Poetry

A nonhuman thing or quality is given human-like qualities

Personification A nonhuman thing or quality is given

human-like qualities “the earth is a living thing” by Lucille

Clifton (page 568)

The soft gray hands of sleepToiled all night longTo spin a beautiful garmentOf dreams

- Edward Silvera, from “Forgotten Dreams”

Literary Devices in Poetry

A group of words repeated at intervals in a poem, song, or speech.

Refrain

A group of words repeated at intervals in a poem, song, or speech.–Often used to build rhythm–Can also emphasize the main theme of the work

Refrain

A group of words repeated at intervals in a poem, song, or speech. (Same as a chorus in a song.)

All God’s critters got a place in the choir,Some sing low, some sing higher, Some sing out loud on the telephone wire, And some just clap their hands,

Or paws,Or anything they got now.

-Bill Staines, from “A Place in the Choir”(page 178)

“I have a dream. . .” “I’ve got a feeling. . .”- Martin Luther King, Jr. -Black Eyed Peas

Rhyme Scheme

A pattern of rhymes in a poem–End rhymes–Internal rhymes–Near rhymes

End Rhymes

Rhymes at the end of lines of poetry

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

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, from “TheTide Rises, the Tide Falls”

What else is here?

Rhymes at the end of lines of poetry

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

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, from “TheTide Rises, the Tide Falls”

Internal Rhymes

Rhymes within lines of poetry

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon there came again a tapping somewhat louder than before

- Edgar Allan Poe, from “The Raven”

Near Rhymes

Rhymes involving sounds that are similar but not exactly the same– Also called slant rhymes

milly befriended a stranded star

whose rays five languid fingers were

- E.E. Cummings, from “maggie and milly and molly and may”

(page 522)

Rhyme Scheme

Rhymes at the end of lines of poetry To indicate the rhyme scheme of a

poem, use a separate letter of the alphabet for each rhyme

The rhyme scheme of Longfellow’s stanza of “The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls” is a-a-b-b-a

Rhyme Scheme

Darkness settles on roofs and walls, a_But the sea, the sea in the darkness calls; a_The little waves, with their soft, white hands, b_Efface the footprints in the sands, b_And the tide rises, the tide falls. a_

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, from “TheTide Rises, the Tide Falls”

Stanza

A group of consecutive lines that forms a single unit– Something like a paragraph in prose– Often expresses a unit of thought– May consist of any number of lines– In some poems, each stanza has the

same rhyme scheme

I’m Nobody!

I’m Nobody! Who are you?Are you Nobody too?Then there’s a pair of us!

Don’t tell! They’d banish us, you know!

How dreary to be Somebody!How public - like a Frog -To tell your name the livelong JuneTo an admiring Bog!

- Emily Dickinson

If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking (page 72)

If I can stop one Heart from breakingI shall not live in vainIf I can ease one Life the AchingOr cool one Pain

Or help one fainting RobinUnto his Nest againI shall not live in Vain.

- Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson*

The mysterious woman in white

She didn’t get out much 1830 – 1886 *My husband says her poetry can be sung to

“The Yellow Rose in Texas” because all of her poems have the same. . .

Meter

A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables– Free verse does not have a regular pattern of stressed and

unstressed syllables– Sounds like ordinary speech

When poets write in meter, they count out the number of stressed syllables (or strong beats) and unstressed syllables (weaker beats) in each line

They then repeat the pattern throughout To avoid singsong effect, poets usually vary the basic

pattern

Hello, iambs!

Each line has four unstressed syllables alternating with four stressed syllables

‘Twas brillig, and the slithy tovesDid gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,And the mome raths outgrabe.

- Lewis Carroll, from “Jabberwocky”

Literary Devices in Poetry

A comparison between two unlike things, using a word such as like, as, than, or resembles.

Your old friend, the Simile!

A comparison between two unlike things, using a word such as like, as, than, or resembles.

When the last bus leaves, moths stream

toward lights like litter in the wind.- Roberta Hill, from “Depot in Rapid

City”

Literary Devices in Poetry

An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing.

You’ve been waiting for, the mighty Metaphor!

An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing.

When she comes slip-footing through the door,she kindles us like lump coal lightedand we wake up glowing.

She puts a spark even in Papa’s eyesand turns out all our darkness.

When she comes sweet-talking in the room,she warms uslike grits and gravy,and we rise up shining.

Even at nighttime Mama is a sunrisethat promises tomorrow and tomorrow.

- Evelyn Tooley Hunt, from “Mama Is a Sunrise”

Metaphor

An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing. (More on Langston Hughes on page 67.)

Dreams

Hold fast to dreamsFor if dreams dieLife is a broken-winged birdThat cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.

- Langston Hughes Image from http://goinglocoinyokohama.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/hughes.jpg

Madam and the Rent ManThe rent man knocked. He said, Howdy-do? I said, WhatCan I do for you? He said, You knowYour rent is due.

I said, Listen, Before I'd payI'd go to Hades And rot away!

The sink is broke, The water don't run, And you ain't done a thingYou promised to've done.

Back window's cracked, Kitchen floor squeaks, There's rats in the cellar, And the attic leaks.

He said, Madam, It's not up to me.

I'm just the agent, Don't you see?

I said, Naturally, You pass the buck.

If it's money you wantYou're out of luck.

He said, Madam, I ain't pleased!

I said, Neither am I. So we agrees!

- Langston Hughes

Literary Devices in Poetry

The repetition of the same or very similar consonant sounds in words that are close together.

Alliteration

The repetition of the same or very similar consonant sounds in words that are close together.– Usually occurs at the beginning of words– Can also occur within or at the end of words– Can help establish a mood, emphasize

words, or serve as a memory aid

Alliteration

The repetition of the same or very similar consonant sounds in words that are close together.– Example: s sound repeated at beginning of silken

and sad and within the words uncertain and rustling. . .

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain,

Thrilled me--filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

- Edgar Allan Poe, from “The Raven”

Poetic Sleuth

Using this same example from “The Raven”, what other poetic device(s) can you find?

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain,

Thrilled me--filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

- Edgar Allan Poe, from “The Raven”

Couplet

A pair of lines of verse Usually consists of two lines that

rhyme and have the same meter While traditionally couplets rhyme,

not all do

Couplet A pair of lines of verse Because the rhyme comes so quickly in

rhyming couplets, it tends to call attention to itself

Good rhyming couplets tend to "snap" as both the rhyme and the idea come to a quick close in two lines

An example of a rhyming couplet:

Whether or not we find what we are seeking is idle, biologically speaking. — Edna St. Vincent Millay (at the end of

a sonnet*)

*Sonnet - 14-line poem, ending in a rhyming couplet

A Minor Bird

I have wished a bird would fly away, And not sing by my house all day; Have clapped my hands at him from the door When it seemed as if I could bear no more.

5 The fault must partly have been in me. The bird was not to blame for his key.

And of course there must be something wrong In wanting to silence any song.

` Robert Frost*

Literary Device in Poetry

A single word or phrase that appeals to one or more of our senses

Imagery

A single word or phrase that appeals to one or more of our senses

Imagery refers to the "pictures" which we perceive with our mind's eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin

Imagery

A single word or phrase that appeals to one or more of our senses

Night Watch(Ode to the Gargoyle)

Frozen jaws snap at timeless airAnd concrete eyes stare at passers-byClaws deeply imbedded, sadly not in fleshAs you crouch forever ready to pounce

- Mary O. Fumento, 1989

Imagery

A single word or phrase that appeals to one or more of our senses

Read also “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out” by Shel Silverstein (page 608)

“A Boy Named Sue”, sung by Johnny Cash, was written by Shel Silverstein.

Literary Devices in Poetry

The use of a word whose sound suggests or imitates its meaning

Onomatopoeia

The use of a word whose sound suggests or imitates its meaning

Important element in creating the music of poetry

Onomatopoeia In “The Bells”, by Edgar Allan Poe, he creates a frenzied mood

by choosing words that imitate the sounds of alarm bells Oh, the bells, bells, bells!What a tale their terror tellsOf Despair!

How they clang, and clash, and roar!5 What a horror they outpour

On the bosom of the palpitating air!Yet the ear, it fully knows

By the twanging And the clanging

10 How the danger ebbs and flows.

E. A. Poe In “The Bells”, Poe uses onomatopoeia, it’s true, but he is also

utilizing the recurring use of a sound, word, a phrase, or a line.

What is this called? Oh, the bells, bells, bells!What a tale their terror tellsOf Despair!

How they clang, and clash, and roar!What a horror they outpour

On the bosom of the palpitating air!Yet the ear, it fully knows

By the twanging And the clanging

How the danger ebbs and flows.

Repetition

The recurring use of a sound, a word, a phrase, or a line

Can also be used to create music, to appeal to our emotions, and to emphasize important ideas

Poe used this quite a bit (page 575) Annabel Lee (page 579) Note how the lines are numbered!

Some More Poetic Perusal

“Gold” by Pat Mora (page 571) “maggie and milly and molly and may” by

e.e. cummings (page 522) Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer

(page 132) “The Names” by Billy Collins (page 561) Last but certainly not least, “Jabberwocky” by

Lewis Carroll (page 339)– Let’s read this one together, then break it down,

shall we?

Now it’s YOUR turn!

I am Poem BioPoem Diamante Cinquain

I am PoemFormat Example

I am (two special characteristics you have) I am a carefree girl who loves horses.

I wonder (something you are actually curious about) I wonder if there ever was a horse that could fly.

I hear (an imaginary sound) I hear the stomping of a hundred mustangs on the desert in Arabia.

I see (an imaginary sight) I see a horse with golden wings soaring into the sunset.

I want (an actual desire) I want to ride swiftly over a green meadow.

I am (the first line of the poem repeated) I am a carefree girl who loves horses.

I pretend (someting you pretend to do) I pretend to be an Olympic jumper.

I feel (a feeling about something imaginary) I feel the sky pressing down on me as I ride along a sandy shore.

I touch (an imaginary touch) I touch the clouds on a winged horse.

I worry ( something that really bothers you) I worry that I'll fall off and become paralyzed.

I cry (something that makes you sad) I cry when a colt dies.

I am (the first line of the poem) I am a carefree girl who loves horses.

I understand (something you know is true) I understand that I will not be able to ride every day of my life.

I say (something you believe in) I say, let all horses roam free.

I dream (somethng you actually hope for) I dream about the day when I have a horse of my own.

I try (something you make an effort about) I try to be the best rider in the world.

I hope (something you actually hope for) I hope to ride all my life.

I am (the first line of the poem repeated) I am a carefree girl who loves horses.

adapted from various teacher resources Elly Tatum

From: http://cte.jhu.edu/techacademy/web/2000/kochan/formatspoem2.html

BioPoem

Be sure to follow the directions indicating how many items you must share.

Format Sample

(first name) Adam(four words that describe you--character traits) Precocious, enthusiastic, mischievous, energetic.

Relative of (list close family members) Relative of Mom, Daddy, and Eric.

Resident of (place where you live) Resident of St. Joseph, Michigan.

Who reads (four books, magazines, and or newspapers) Who reads Captain Underpants, Star Wars, Knuffle Bunny, and Super Hero Books

Who likes (three things you like) Who likes to go the museum, fight bad guys, and pillow fights.Who loves (three things you love) Who loves Snickers ice cream, my brother, and my army guys.Who fears (three things) Who fears The Princess and the Frog bite, people taking me, and falling into our ravine

Who wishes (three things) Who wishes for money coming out of the sky, a snake for a pet, and a trip to Disney.

Who admires (three) Who admires Papa Dixon, Papa Walsworth, and the President.Who needs (three things you need) Who needs to play, run, and learn.Who aspires to (at least two aspirations) Who aspires to become a police officer and a king.(last name) Walsworth

Cinquain

Highly structured form of poetry Requires a fluent and flexible

writer Format commands attention to

word choice, word meaning, syllabication, and parts of speech, while at the same time expressing a meaningful message

Cinquain Line 1: 1 word title (noun) 2 syllables Line 2: 2 descriptive words (adjectives) 4

syllables Line 3: 3 words that express action 6 syllables Line 4: 4 words that express feeling 8 syllables Line 5: 1 word (synonyms or reference to title in line 1) 2 syllables

Friend/shipPre/cious, awe/some

Bright/ens gloom/y mo/mentsRain/bow's treas/ure trove dis/cov/ered

Al/waysFrom: http://www.readinga-z.com/poetry/lesson_plans/cinquain/cinquain_print.html

Diamante

Seven line poem, shaped like a diamond The result is a pattern of contrast shown

in poetry form

LINE 1 - one word subject (noun) contrasting with line 7 LINE 2 - two adjectives describing LINE 1 noun LINE 3 - three action verbs ending in -ing or -ed to describe LINE I noun LINE 4 - four words: first 2 words relate to line 1, last 2 words relate to

line 7 LINE 5 - three participles ending in -ing or -ed to describe LINE 7 noun LINE 6 - two adjectives describing LINE 7 noun LINE 7 - one word subject (noun) contrasting with line 1

Diamante

SquareSymmetrical, Conventional

Shaping, Measuring, BalancingBoxes, Rooms, Clocks, Halos

Encircling, Circumnavigating, EnclosingRound, Continuous

Circle

From: http://teams.lacoe.edu/documentation/classrooms/amy/algebra/5-6/activities/poetry/diamante.html

Diamante

FireballBrilliant, Beautiful

Flashing, Shining, DashingBright, Wondrous, Black, Nothing,

Staring, Hoping, MissingDeep, Quiet

Darkness

From http://www.docstoc.com/docs/17715586/Diamante-Poem